Criminal Detention and Alternatives: Fundamental Rights Aspects in EU
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JUSTICE FRA Criminal detention and alternatives: fundamental rights aspects in EU cross-border transfers aspects in EU cross-border rights fundamental and alternatives: Criminal detention Criminal detention and alternatives: fundamental rights aspects in EU cross- border transfers The report addresses matters related to human dignity (Article 1), the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Article 4), the right to liberty (Article 6), the right to respect for private and family life (Article 7), and the right to a fair trial (Article 47), falling under Titles I ‘Dignity’, II ‘Freedoms’, and VI ‘Justice’ of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). Photo (cover & inside): © Shutterstock (Zolnierek) More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). FRA – European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Schwarzenbergplatz 11 – 1040 Vienna – Austria Tel. +43 158030-0 – Fax +43 158030-699 Email: [email protected] – fra.europa.eu Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2016 Paper: 978-92-9491-352-4 10.2811/182993 TK-02-16-903-EN-C PDF: 978-92-9491-351-7 10.2811/244106 TK-02-16-903-EN-N © European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2016 Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Luxembourg Printed on process chlorine-free recycled paper (PCF) Criminal detention and alternatives: fundamental rights aspects in EU cross- border transfers Foreword Mutual recognition – the process of default recognition of decisions and judgments made by, for example, a court in another Member State – hinges greatly on Member States’ mutual trust in each other’s justice systems. Such trust, in turn, is highly dependent on respect for fundamental rights. The three European Union (EU) Framework Decisions at the heart of this study were designed to facilitate mutual recognition between EU Member States when transferring individuals serving prison sentences, persons subject to probation measures and alternative sanctions, and individuals awaiting trial (pursuant to the so-called European Supervision Order). The Framework Decisions instruct Member States to be guided by fundamental rights principles, including by considering alternatives to detention. Moreover, in its EU Justice Agenda for 2020 – entitled ‘Strengthening trust, mobility and growth within the Union’ – the European Commission emphasises the need to promote effective application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. The agenda underscores that effective rights protection is crucial for promoting trust in the proper functioning of the European area of justice. It is also in light of this Justice Agenda that this report explores fundamental rights considerations in the application of the three Framework Decisions. Criminal justice systems themselves are inherently linked with fundamental rights. They serve to protect the rights and safety of victims and society as a whole, but also to offer rigorous safeguards to suspects, accused and sentenced persons. This is important both for these individuals themselves and for society as a whole. Beyond principles of humanity, societies benefit from the reintegration of persons who have served time in detention or have otherwise been constrained by the justice system. This also recalls the goal of reducing recidivism. Societal interests include making greater use of alternatives to detention in order to avoid the need to reintegrate persons after periods in detention. This is particularly important at the pre-trial stage, where individuals remain innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Using detention for serious crimes is certainly appropriate, albeit it may at times be counter-productive. This is particularly important to stress at times when short-term political gains may encourage harsh sentencing. The implementation deadlines for these instruments have passed, and EU Member States have by and large imple- mented them; making it timely for an assessment of how fundamental rights are safeguarded both in law and in practice. This study provides an overview of experiences in Member States, and highlights best practices and short- comings. In so doing, it brings much-needed attention to both the potential and the risks these instruments entail in terms of fundamental rights protection. Michael O’Flaherty Director 3 Country codes Country code EU Member State AT Austria BE Belgium BG Bulgaria CY Cyprus CZ Czech Republic DE Germany DK Denmark EE Estonia EL Greece ES Spain FI Finland FR France HR Croatia HU Hungary IE Ireland IT Italy LT Lithuania LU Luxembourg LV Latvia MT Malta NL Netherlands PL Poland PT Portugal RO Romania SE Sweden SK Slovakia SI Slovenia UK United Kingdom 4 Contents FOREWORD ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 3 ACRONYMS ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND FRA OPINIONS ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 9 INTRODUCTION ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17 1 EU INSTRUMENTS: THE FRAMEWORK DECISIONS ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 25 1.1. Functioning and implementation of the Framework Decisions ......................................................................... 25 1.2. Framework Decision on transfer of prisoners ..................................................................................................... 28 1.3. Framework Decision on probation and alternative sanctions .......................................................................... 29 1.4. Framework Decision on the European Supervision Order ................................................................................. 30 1.5. Council of Europe and United Nations building blocks ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 31 1.6. Gathering experiences and collecting data ......................................................................................................... 32 Conclusion and FRA Opinions ........................................................................................................................................... 34 2 OVERALL GOALS AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 35 2.1. Fundamental rights standards ............................................................................................................................... 38 2.2. Goal of social rehabilitation ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 43 2.3. Fundamental rights refusal grounds ..................................................................................................................... 45 2.4. Visions for improved mutual trust through enhanced monitoring and incentives ........................................ 47 Conclusion and FRA Opinions ............................................................................................................................................ 51 3 DETENTION: EXTENT AND CONCERNS, INCLUDING RADICALISATION ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 53 3.1. Extent of detention .................................................................................................................................................. 54 3.2. Concerns about detention in the EU ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 55 Conclusion and FRA Opinion ............................................................................................................................................. 59 4 ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 61 4.1. Alternatives to pre-trial detention ........................................................................................................................ 62 4.2. Alternatives to post-trial detention ....................................................................................................................... 67 Conclusion and FRA Opinion ............................................................................................................................................. 69 5 DETENTION AND PEOPLE IN SITUATIONS OF VULNERABILITY ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 71 5.1. Children ...................................................................................................................................................................... 73 5.2. Parents with young children .................................................................................................................................