Next week, the Riksdag will make a decision on part two of the government's major criminal justice reform, which includes abolishing sentence reductions for those convicted of multiple crimes.
But the government's bill does not say in which year the discount will be abolished. The reason is that it takes time for the Swedish Prison and Probation Service to expand the prisons.
Despite this, the Moderates are now promising to abolish the discount by 2030. Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) says it will be possible.
It will be able to come into effect during the next term of office if one is prepared to pay and make the reforms that the Prison and Probation Service needs.
Temporary solutions
The Moderates' plan is to instruct the Swedish Prison Service to increase the pace of expansion with more "flexible and temporary" solutions to accommodate more inmates. This could also mean that more first-time offenders serve sentences with electronic ankle bracelets.
According to the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, at the current rate, it will not be until 2040 that it will be able to handle all the prison terms that will be handed down as a result of the government's entire criminal justice reform. This includes, for example, courts more often choosing sentences higher on the penalty scale.
The Moderates will prioritise the part of the reform that involves abolishing the quantity discount.
People who are affected by everything from serious sexual crimes to burglary should know that all sentences count in Sweden. It's about respect for the victim, says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Could cost 47 billion
The Swedish Prison and Probation Service has assessed that the expansion needed to handle the consequences of part two of the government's criminal justice reform will cost SEK 47 billion, of which the abolished quantity discount accounts for SEK 12.3 billion.
Minister of Finance Elisabeth Svantesson (M) points to aid as a possible source of financing.
"We could further reduce aid slightly," she says.
The volume discount has become a hot issue in the election campaign.
The Social Democrats may consider abolishing the sentence reduction for violent crimes, but intend to vote no to the government's criminal justice reform because it is unclear how the Swedish Prison and Probation Service will be able to handle it.
The truth is that the red-greens could never agree on this, says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
The Social Democrats' legal policy spokesperson Theresa Carvalho believes it is frivolous for the government to present a bill without proposing when the legal changes will come into force.
"We say no to this proposal, not to changing the quantity discount," she says.
