Justizvollzugsanstalt Witzwil

Last updated

The Justizvollzugsanstalt Witzwil (Prison Witzwil) is a men's prison in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It consists of a closed part and a number of minimum security habitation units. [1] The prisoners work on the institution's huge farm estate on the territories of the municipalities Erlach, Gampelen and Ins in the canton of Bern and Haut-Vully in the canton of Fribourg. Former prisoners who are yet to find employment are also allowed to work on these farms. [2]

Contents

The main seat and official address are located in the community of Gampelen.

History

The Witzwil prison was a brainchild of Otto Kellerhals, [1] who also served as the institution's first director in 1895. [3] His son Hans Kellerhals took over after his retirement.

The farms of the prison are on what was formerly a part of the huge marshlands called Grand Marais. It was realized that the land parcels could be reclaimed for agriculture through the Jura water correction. In 1860 Public Notary Witz from Erlach bought the whole land, which henceforth took up his name. In 1870 he sold it to the newly founded Landwirtschaftlichen Gesellschaft Witzwil (also called Einfache Gesellschaft Grosses Moos), to which the politician Jakob Stämpfli was involved with all his fortune. The company, however, fell 1879 in bankruptcy, and 1891 the domain was acquired by the canton of Bern from the bankruptcy estate.

In 1894 the first Barracks were built for 100 inmates. Friedrich Glauser spent one year as an "administrative inmate" in Witzwil 1925 to 1926 and tried to commit suicide. Shortly after the end of the World War II Witzwil attained its maximum capacity with 600 prisoners. Between 1980 and 1985 a new prison building was built. 1995 a closed “Wohngruppe” was opened. 1998 followed the opening of the department “Ausschaffung” for 36 people bound to be forcefully repatriated back to their country of origin.

Current

Today, Witzwil offers space for 200 inmates and employs 118 employees. Out of this number of prisoners, the institution posts an average of 50 escapes per year. [4] This low figure - considering the lack of security and containment mechanisms - is partly attributed to the short sentences of the inmates as well as the internal security in Switzerland, which serves as a deterrent. [4]

Beginning in the 1990s, the government also constructed an annex at Witzwil, which currently serves as expulsion prison, or a detainment facility for individuals waiting to be deported, pending a court ruling or police decree. [5]

With a total agricultural land area of 612 hectares, the prison has the largest farm in Switzerland, with an annual revenue of 17 million Swiss francs. The operation includes 20 tractors, 500 cattle, 120 horses, 600 pigs and 100 chicken.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gals, Switzerland</span> Municipality in Bern, Switzerland

Gals is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gampelen</span> Municipality in Bern, Switzerland

Gampelen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Gampelen should not be confused with the municipality Gampel in the canton of Valais.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ins, Switzerland</span> Municipality in Bern, Switzerland

Ins is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seeland (Switzerland)</span>

Seeland is a region in Switzerland, at the south-eastern foot of the mountain range of the Jura Mountains containing the 3 Lakes of Morat, Neuchâtel, and Bienne (Biel). In previous eras, it was the floodplain of the Aare and was thus swampy. After the huge hydrological works Jura water correction, the area drained out and could support more cultivation. Seeland is one of the most important regions in Switzerland for growing vegetables, particularly in the Grand Marais.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jegenstorf</span> Municipality in Bern, Switzerland

Jegenstorf is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the former municipality of Ballmoos merged into Jegenstorf and on 1 January 2014 Münchringen and Scheunen merged into Jegenstorf.

Finsterhennen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siselen</span> Municipality in Bern, Switzerland

Siselen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Treiten is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tschugg</span> Municipality in Bern, Switzerland

Tschugg is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Vinelz is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hagneck</span> Municipality in Bern, Switzerland

Hagneck is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

The prisons in Germany are run solely by the federal states but governed by a federal law. The aim of prison confinement in Germany is twofold: emphasis is placed on enabling prisoners to lead a life of "social responsibility free of crime" upon release, but society is also to be protected from further acts of crime by the guilty. Prisons in Germany differ from those of many other countries since the focus is not entirely on punishment. Germany has a goal of rehabilitation for prisoners so that they can have successful re-entry into the community. That is why many German prisons have the feel of a community in which prisoners are given different freedoms and responsibilities. Often, prisoners have television, posters hanging in their cells, or "free time" in which they can roam around outside their cells.

The Roanoke River Correctional Institution is a minimum/medium security prison in North Carolina, United States. The oldest state prison in North Carolina, it has operated from 1892 to the present. It is located in Halifax County, on approximately 7,500 acres that was purchased by the state in 1899. It was previously named the Caledonia State Prison Farm and the Caledonia Correctional Institution.

The London Correctional Institution (LoCI) is located in Union Township, Madison County, just west of London, Ohio, 27 miles (43 km) southwest of Columbus. It was originally known as the London Prison Farm. From 1913 to 1925 it was a branch of the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus. In 1925, it became a separate facility. The prison currently accommodates approximately: 2,500 adult males in three security levels: minimum, medium and close-security.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Institution, El Reno</span> Medium-security United States prison in Oklahoma

Federal Correctional Institution, El Reno is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Oklahoma. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility has an adjacent satellite camp for minimum-security male offenders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amsoldingen Castle</span> Historic site

Amsoldingen Castle is a castle in the municipality of Amsoldingen in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The castle and associated former collegiate church of St. Mauritius are a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindelbank Castle</span> Castle in Bern, Switzerland

Hindelbank Castle is a castle in the municipality of Hindelbank of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. It was sold to the canton in 1866 and later became a workhouse and a prison. Currently, it is the administration building of the only women's prison in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Köniz Castle</span> Historic site in Canton of Bern, Switzerland

Köniz Castle is a castle in the municipality of Köniz of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riggisberg Castle</span> Castle in the canton of Bern, Switzerland

Riggisberg Castle is a castle in the municipality of Riggisberg of the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Christopher Spörri, known professionally as Christopher S, is a Swiss DJ, producer and label owner.

References

  1. 1 2 Mahaworker, Madhavarao (2006). Prison Management: Problems and Solutions. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications. p. 102. ISBN   8178353148.
  2. Calvert, E. Roy; Calvert, Theodora (2016). The Lawbreaker: A Critical Study of the Modern Treatment of Crime. New York: Routledge. p. 159. ISBN   9781138999848.
  3. "Otto Kellerhals: Strafanstalt Witzwil. Ein Beispiel von Innenkolonisation durch die Arbeit von Gefangenen und Arbeitslosen, Ins 1925 | thata site". thata.ch (in German). Retrieved 2018-06-23.
  4. 1 2 Taylor, Peter (2005). Unruly Complexity: Ecology, Interpretation, Engagement . Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp.  102. ISBN   0226790355.
  5. De Genova, Nicholas; Peutz, Nathalie (2010). The Deportation Regime: Sovereignty, Space, and the Freedom of Movement. Durham: Duke University Press. p. 243. ISBN   9780822391340.

46°59′16″N7°3′33″E / 46.98778°N 7.05917°E / 46.98778; 7.05917