Swiss prisoners' union

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Swiss prisoners' union
founding 18th November 1968
founder Hans Ellenberger , Walter Haesler , Kurt Marti , René Meuwly , Klaus Schädelin , Hans Schmid , Hans Martin Sutermeister
Seat Bern SwitzerlandSwitzerland
resolution 1980s or 1990s
main emphasis Safeguarding the interests of people deprived of their liberty
people Walter Haesler (President), Hans Ellenberger (Secretary)
Members approx. 50-200

The Swiss Prisoners' Union (SGG), also known as the Federation for the Protection of Prisoners , was a Swiss association that pretended to defend the interests of prisoners . The SGG was founded in 1968 by well-known personalities from politics, business and society in Bern ; its long-time president was Walter Haesler . Politically it was to be assigned to the middle ; At the beginning it received criticism from right-wing media, but after the general assembly of 1973 it received strong criticism from the left , which claimed the term “ union ” for itself. Because of her cooperation with the Swiss judicial authorities, she was (not only) increasingly criticized by prisoners for not being a trade union in the true sense of the word or for representing the interests of the state rather than the prisoners' interests. Regional sections of the SGG existed until the 1980s, before the association dissolved.

Foundation and first years

On November 18, 1968, the Bern advocate and notary Hans Ellenberger , the Zurich psychologist Walter Haesler , the Bern priest Kurt Marti , the Friborg bank director René Meuwly , the Bern managing director Hans Schmid and the two Bern municipal councilors Klaus Schädelin and Hans Martin Sutermeister founded in Bern the Swiss prisoners' union as an “ association within the meaning of Art. 66 ff of Switzerland. ZGB ". "The name is ... in view of international agreement - in Germany there is such a union -. Occurs" According to their statutes they aimed "to protect the interests of those in Switzerland [exceptionally well abroad,] the deprivation of liberty are or have stood "; In particular, it aimed to “partially change the legal norms on criminal law , criminal procedure law, the penal system and disciplinary law .” The membership fee was “CHF 20 per year: no fee is charged for members deprived of liberty. In addition, one hopes for voluntary donations ”. The SGG's office was at Aarbergergasse 46 in Bern.

The establishment of the SGG was initially viewed with suspicion in right-wing media; this is how the Catholic-conservative Lucerne fatherland writes :

“Some time ago, an organization was founded at the Swiss level under the somewhat dodgy name of the“ prisoners' union ”, the goals of which were largely unclear. She has just presented herself to the press in Bern, although interest was rather modest. [This "union"] has at most the term solidarity in common with the name ..., but otherwise presented itself more as an organization for the care of prisoners ... [paragraph] One will now have to wait and see how this new organization develops. If the thought of care comes to the fore, then a useful activity could be expected. Today, it was said, the professional world is still shaking its head, while lay people welcome the efforts. You will then see in which direction the development is going. "

- Fatherland

“The first reaction… to Tell was resolutely negative:“ Superfluous ”,“ It wasn't imposing ”,“ It can't be forbidden - we have freedom of association ”. These were the first, spontaneous comments from men who hold leading positions in the Swiss penal system. The Sanctuary Government Councilor Mathias Eggenberger , head of the police department, commented on the “ Berner Tagwacht ” (December 9, 1968) that the protective supervision functioned well and that the reintegration of those released from prison was sufficiently taken care of. Eggenberger did not speak of those who did not come under protective supervision after their release because they had to serve their sentences completely. The - admittedly - somewhat provocative name “union” indicates that the “prisoner” should find increased support through this new organization not only after his release, but also beforehand, if possible already from pre- trial detention . Perhaps it is this side of the union program that concerns criminal procedural law and the prison system that is causing discomfort to those responsible. But the activities of the prisoners ' union are by no means directed against these instances themselves, for example in the anti-authoritarian sense of extreme student rebellion ! So the prisoners' revolt is not planned or rehearsed! Rather, what is intended are necessary reforms in the sense of the human rights convention, which was much celebrated and discussed last year . "

- Kurt Marti

Arthur Villard was in contact with the SGG.

In 1969 the SGG together with the German and Austrian prisoners 'union in Bad Nauheim founded the International Prisoners' Union . (The German prisoners' union was also considered a bizarre organization in left circles .)

From 1970 onwards it published a quarterly newsletter with comments on criminal law reforms, literature reviews, reports on prison visits, programs of activities of its regional sections and "notices" to its members.

In spring 1971, sections of the SGG were founded in Bern and Zurich ; a little later in Basel and in French-speaking Switzerland . "Contacts with institution directors, authorities and similar organizations abroad" were established; “A documentation center for criminal law and the penal system” should be set up.

The 1973 General Assembly and after

The SGG was increasingly attacked by left-wing media. The main reason for this was the general assembly of the SGG on June 30, 1973 in the Stadtcasino Basel , at which more than 80 members, mostly younger ones, of the open working group on the renewal of the penal system , “a loose amalgamation of various local working groups that deal with the care of prisoners and the penal system ”who wanted to join the SSG. The SGG board of directors rejected these applications for admission “in total”, whereupon the “Open Working Group on the Renewal of Prisons” emerged as a competitor to the SSG. According to the open working group , the SGG did not deserve the name “ union ” because “the executive board and most of the members are not prisoners, but representatives of the authorities and circles close to them. This is justified by the detainees' lack of interest ”.

On the same day of the SGG General Assembly, the open working group for the renewal of the penal system decided to “found a nationwide association; the founding meeting was set for September 29, 1973. The "Groupe Action Prison", active in French-speaking Switzerland , began working with ASTRA in April 1974 and published its own magazine from summer 1976: Le passe-muraille . "(ASTRA was" formally dissolved at the end of 1978 ")

At the end of July 1973, the three prisoners from Basel, Lukas Althaus , Fritz Breitenstein and Walter Stürm, announced their exit from the SGG in an open letter . Dieter Zeller sees this as the reason

“The miserable failure of an organization to which all those involved in comprehensive prison reform have once attached high expectations. ... One is too busy with lofty plans for new special institutions that look wonderful on paper, but in practice are never built. "

- Dieter Zeller

“The SGG calls itself a union, but refuses to take on union duties, including collective and individual care for prisoners. The SGG associates its organization in an unclear way with the names of prison directors (and thus complicates their positions with their prisoners) without these being members of the SGG. Ultimately, the SGG wants to achieve reforms in the penal system without reference to changes in society as a whole . In one sentence: SGG wants to wash the fur without getting it wet. Such an organization judges itself. "

- Dieter Zeller

The Basler National-Zeitung printed the open letter anonymously (ie only with the initials of the three authors) on August 15, although it had already been printed with its full name two weeks before in the Basler Abend-Zeitung ; Unlike the Abend-Zeitung, the National-Zeitung gave the SGG an opportunity for a reply. In it the prisoners' union defended itself as follows:

“All people who work for the Swiss [sic] prisoners' union do this work on a voluntary basis and outside of their regular job. As a result, it turned out that the individual support - to the extent that it was required of us - assumed a scope that we were only partially able to cope with financially and personally. In particular, it was impossible for us to visit prisoners in prisons throughout Switzerland, to receive their complaints and to clarify them. In contrast, all those released who turned to us for advice received information free of charge at any time. ... [Paragraph] The SGG therefore placed the main emphasis of its activity on the critical processing of criminal law, criminal procedure law and the penal system, on the orientation of the public about the largely unknown problems and the need for reform of the penal system. … [Paragraph] Our aim is to educate the public and submit information to the authorities to bring about improvements that benefit everyone, and not, as is the case with individual so-called “progressive” groups, under the pretext of concern for the Prison system to achieve political goals. "

- Swiss prisoners' union

In the following years, the SGG made little talk.

1980s

Approx. 1981 appeared the No. 1 of the overview of the Swiss prisoners' union.

In January 1983, the SGG called with a input unsuccessful ", the Federal Parliament on," detainees who because of cannabis or cannabis trafficking were sentenced, a general amnesty grant »".

In May 1983 'on the other hand, that when the SGG protested escape attempt of a 19 year old inmates in county jail Zurzach (AG) in the early hours of Friday straight to the gun was seized "and was" in a petition the Grand Council of the Canton of Aargau call as supervisor, an independent To set up an investigative commission to examine the situation in the Zurzach district court. "

In October 1983 she submitted petitions to the Basel-Landschaft Landrat “regarding the implementation of institutional reform under Article 93ter StGB” and “regarding the abolition of arrest sentences in Swiss penal institutions, remand prisons and correctional homes ”.

In November 1983, the SGG called on the Bernese Grand Council to set up an independent investigative commission in the cantonal women's penal institution in Hindelbank (BE) , as inmates there had been “beaten by male staff”.

In April 1984 the SGG went public with a “demand for an inmate council in the Regensdorf prison ”. The biggest problem of their credibility was again doubts about their representativeness .

Nothing is known about the dissolution of SGG.

swell

A very small collection of SGG documents with circulars , statutes / regulations and newspaper clippings is located in the Swiss Economic Archives .

Monographs

Co-founders Kurt Marti and Hans Martin Sutermeister left the following writings on the Swiss Prisoners' Union :

Critical Books:

  • Helen Stotzer : Movement in Swiss Prisons: Influence and Limits of Extra-Parliamentary Opposition in the Political System . Seminar paper. History seminar of the University of Bern, Bern 1996.
  • Thomas Faerber (author); Bernhard C. Schär and Ruth Ammann (editors): Bern 68: Local history of a global awakening: Events and memories . here + now, 2008, ISBN 3-03919-078-4 .
  • VAS Ecumenical Prisoners' Union (Ed.): One year later: Yellow book: Prisoners of the Regensdorf prison tell how they experienced the revolt of December 13th, 1980: since then this prison has developed into one of the toughest prisons in Switzerland . VAS, Zurich, OCLC 696039380 (1981 or 1982).

Magazine articles

The SGG's document collection contains the following newspaper clippings:

  • Berner Tagwacht . December 9, 1968 (not included in the SGG's document collection in the Swiss Economic Archives).
  • What does the «prisoners union» want? Category: "Under the microscope". In: Fatherland . No. 289 , December 11, 1968.
  • -tomi- (abbreviation): Superfluous for us? Swiss prisoners' union begins recruiting . In: National newspaper . No. 575 . Basel December 11, 1968.
  • For a return to society: The Swiss prisoners' union begins to recruit members . In: St. Galler Tagblatt . No. 583 , December 12, 1968.
  • WF (abbreviation): Quarrel about «prisoners union» . In: Forward . No. 1/2 , January 9, 1969.
  • Marlet Müller-Brauer: The punishment begins in freedom: union for prisoners . In: Die Weltwoche . No. 1836 , January 17, 1969.
  • mwg: encounter: prisoners union . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . No. 197 , March 30, 1969, pp. 60 ( nzz.ch [PDF; accessed April 26, 2020]).
  • sda: Swiss Prisoners' Union: Against the institution of short prison sentences . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . No. 195 , April 29, 1970.
  • MD (abbreviation): Prisoners' union works in secret . In: National newspaper . No. 145 . Basel March 30, 1971.
  • Margret Renner : The Swiss prisoners' union and what it wants . In: Basler Volksblatt . No. 75 , March 31, 1971.
  • re. (Abbreviation): What does the Swiss prisoners union want? In: St. Galler Tagblatt . No. 77 , April 2, 1971.
  • Emmy Moor : Why is a Swiss prisoners' union needed? In: Cooperative . No. May 19 , 1971.
  • Wives of prisoners . (Article p. 23). In: Schweizer Illustrierte . May 8, 1972, p. 23 and 31 (not included in the SGG's document collection in the Swiss Economic Archives).
  • Ernst P. Gerber : Demolition of a self-abandonment: the Swiss prisoners' union was founded four years ago . In: National newspaper . No. 291 . Basel July 21, 1972 (2 pages).
  • Peter Holenstein : Bad game with prisoners: the story of a good idea . In: Die Weltwoche . No. April 14 , 1973 (2 pages).
  • sda: «prisoners union» gets competition . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . No. 299 , July 2, 1973.
  • mr. (Abbreviation): Social partnership in the 'Knast': Stormy general assembly of the prisoners' union . In: National newspaper . No. 203 . Basel July 2nd 1973.
  • RT. (Abbreviation): "We want to be saved our way": No blood refreshment at the Swiss prisoners' union . In: Abend-Zeitung . No. 150 . Basel July 3, 1973.
  • tr. (abbreviation): competition for prisoners' union . In: Basler Nachrichten . No. 152 , July 3, 1973.
  • Walter E. Laetsch : On the same line . In: Fatherland . No. 175 . Lucerne July 31, 1973.
  • AZ. (Abbreviation): Resigned from the prisoners' union . With a letter from Lukas Althaus , Fritz Breitenstein , Walter Stürm . In: Abend-Zeitung . No. 174 . Basel July 31, 1973.
  • Dieter Zeller : A “union” that isn't one! In: Abend-Zeitung . No. 174 , July 31, 1973.
  • Dieter Zeller: Again: prisoners' union . In: Abend-Zeitung . No. 185 . Basel August 13, 1973.
  • Swiss prisoners' union: improvements planned . In: National newspaper . No. 253 . Basel August 15, 1973.
  • Lukas Althaus, Fritz Breitenstein, Walter Sturm: Playing with the prisoners 'hopes: Open letter to the board of the Swiss prisoners' union in Bern . In: National newspaper . No. 253 . Basel August 15, 1973.
  • ap. (Abbreviation): Protest against too fast a shot . In: Fatherland . No. 102 . Lucerne May 3, 1983.
  • AP. (Abbreviation): Beatings in prison? In: Basler Zeitung . No. 262 , November 8, 1983.
  • Eva Wyss : Do prisoners have a say in the new building? Prisoners' union calls for inmate council in Regensdorf . In: Tages-Anzeiger . No. 81 , April 5, 1984.

Petitions

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Swiss Prisoners ' Union : Statutes of the Swiss Prisoners' Union - Confederation for the Protection of Prisoners. Article 1. Bern, 1968 or 1971.
  2. ↑ a b c What does the «prisoners union» want? Category: "Under the microscope". In: Fatherland . No. 289 . Lucerne December 11, 1968.
  3. ↑ a b Swiss Prisoners ' Union : Statutes of the Swiss Prisoners' Union - Confederation for the Protection of Prisoners. Article 2. Bern, 1968 or 1971.
  4. ^ Kurt Marti: Notes and Details 1964–2007: Articles from the magazine "Reformatio" . Ed .: Hektor Leibundgut, Klaus Bäumlin and Bernard Schlup. Theological Publishing House Zurich, Zurich 2010, Swiss Prisoners Union, p. 298 .
  5. ^ Kurt Marti: Notes and Details 1964–2007: Articles from the magazine “Reformatio” . Ed .: Hektor Leibundgut, Klaus Bäumlin and Bernard Schlup. Theological Publishing House Zurich, Zurich 2010, Swiss Prisoners Union, p. 293 .
  6. ↑ findmittel.ch
  7. ↑ Marlet Müller-Brauer: The punishment begins in freedom: union for prisoners . In: Die Weltwoche . No. 1836 , January 17, 1969. 2 pages.
  8. ↑ direkteaktion.org
  9. ↑ a b M. D. (abbreviation): Prisoners' union works in secret . In: National newspaper . No. 145 . Basel March 30, 1971.
  10. ↑ a b RT. (Abbreviation): "We want to be saved our way": No blood refreshment at the Swiss prisoners' union . In: Abend-Zeitung . No. 150 . Basel July 3, 1973.
  11. ↑ sda: «prisoners union» gets competition . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . No. 299 , July 2, 1973.
  12. ↑ tr. (Abbreviation): Competition for prisoners' union . In: Basler Nachrichten . No. 152 , July 3, 1973.
  13. ↑ a b FEDRO penal system in the Swiss Social Archives
  14. ↑ a b AZ. (Abbreviation): Resigned from the prisoners' union . With a letter from Lukas Althaus, Fritz Breitenstein, Walter Stürm. In: Abend-Zeitung . No. 174 . Basel July 31, 1973.
  15. ↑ Dieter Zeller: A "union" that isn't one! In: Abend-Zeitung . No. 174 , July 31, 1973.
  16. ^ Dieter Zeller: Again: prisoners' union . In: Abend-Zeitung . No. 185 . Basel August 13, 1973.
  17. ^ Lukas Althaus, Fritz Breitenstein, Walter Sturm: Playing with the prisoners 'hopes: Open letter to the board of the Swiss prisoners' union in Bern . In: National newspaper . No. 253 . Basel August 15, 1973.
  18. ↑ Swiss prisoners' union: improvements planned . In: National newspaper . No. 253 . Basel August 15, 1973.
  19. ↑ findmittel.ch
  20. ↑ 83,271 Swiss Prisoners' Union. Amnesty requests for cannabis dealers and cannabis users - Syndicat suisse des détenus. Demande d'amnistie pour les trafiquants et les consommateurs de cannabis . In: National Council (Ed.): Official Bulletin of the Federal Assembly . tape V , December 14, 1983, Petitions and Requests - Pétitions et requêtes, p. 1796 .
  21. ↑ 83,271 Swiss Prisoners' Union. Amnesty requests for cannabis dealers and cannabis users - Syndicat suisse des détenus. Demande d'amnistie pour les trafiquants et les consommateurs de cannabis . In: Council of States (Ed.): Official Bulletin of the Federal Assembly . tape V , December 15, 1983, Petitions and Requests - Pétitions et requêtes, p. 720–721 ( pdf [accessed February 8, 2013]).
  22. ↑ ap. (Abbreviation): Protest against too fast a shot . In: Fatherland . No. 102 . Lucerne May 3, 1983.
  23. ^ Petition from the prisoners' union of October 6, 1983 regarding the implementation of institutional reform according to Art. 93ter StGB . District council resolution. In: Staatsarchiv Basel-Landschaft (Ed.): District administration protocols of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft . tape 84/31 , no. 686 , February 23, 1984, p. 1031-1037 .
  24. ^ Report of the Petitions Commission of October 21, 1983 on the petition of the Swiss Prisoners' Union of March 3, 1983 regarding the abolition of arrest sentences in Swiss penal institutions, remand prisons and correctional centers . District council resolution. In: Staatsarchiv Basel-Landschaft (Ed.): District administration protocols of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft . tape 83/181 , no. 390 , November 23, 1983, p. 514 .
  25. ↑ AP. (Abbreviation): Beatings in prison? In: Basler Zeitung . No. 262 , November 8, 1983.
  26. ↑ Eva Wyss: Prisoners have a say in the new building? Prisoners' union calls for inmate council in Regensdorf . In: Tages-Anzeiger . No. 81 , April 5, 1984.