Containment of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Swiss Prisons – Better Inside Than Out?

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic was, and continues to be, managed by prevention measures based on limited contact in public spaces and general restrictions on freedom of movement. The question arose as to how infection prevention strategies can be adapted to contexts such as that of the judicial system, particularly prisons. To investigate this, the Swiss National Science Foundation funded a project to analyse institutional strategies to implement prevention measures concerning the Covid-19 pandemic. Surveys were conducted in closed and open institutions of the judicial system across Switzerland, as well as in external residential and work settings, to document successful strategies and identify certain problems.