There is a consensus across the block boundaries that double punishment of gang criminals could be a tool to gain access to gangs.
Among the parliamentary parties, only the Left Party and the Green Party oppose the proposal.
If the purpose is to reduce crime, however, longer prison sentences are not an effective method, researchers say.
- The deterrent effect of punishment depends on the crime you commit.
Absolute traffic crime, violent crime less safe, says Felipe Estrada, criminologist and head of Stockholm University.
Felipe Estrad also points to the cost of a longer sentence.
- Imprisonment is very expensive.
A place in prison for a year costs over a million kronor.
C and M want to abolish the youth discount
C advocates abolished youth discount for serious crimes for people between 18 and 21 years, which takes effect at the turn of the year.
- It is a very criminal age, says Johan Hedin (C).
M wants to go further and abolish the age group discount for all crimes, even the less serious ones.
- If you are of legal age, you must bear the consequences of your actions, says Johan Forssell (M).
At the same time, researchers believe that small margins on punishment do not play a major role.
- The criminals do not want to go there, but if they do, it does not matter much if it is five or seven years for the deterrent effect.
However, it can have other effects.
The fact that they are inside means that they cannot commit crimes, says Manne Gerell, criminologist at Malmö University.
V: young people should be treated as young people
The Left Party does not believe that the youth discount should be abolished.
- The Left Party wants us to keep the system we have had since the 18th century, that young people are treated as young people, says Linda Snecker (V).
C believes that those who are sentenced to closed youth care should end up in the Swedish Prison and Probation Service.
- They have more experience when it comes to handling dangerous people, says Johan Hedin (C).