Create an amendment to R04: * Beyond mass incarceration: towards a transformation of justice systems in Europe

This motion denounces the reality of mass incarceration in our European justice systems and proposes solutions to work towards alternatives.

Justice lies at the core of the political project of the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) and its member organisations. As such, prisons cannot remain a political blind spot. Whether we like it or not, they are one the cornerstones of our judicial systems in Europe. We believe that the way societies deprive individuals of liberty reflects their understanding of justice, dignity and democracy. As such, the situation is particularly worrying in Europe at the moment.

The European Parliament has highlighted persistent shortcomings in detention conditions, which may violate fundamental rights and undermine trust between judicial systems. Additionally, European data shows that a significant number of prison systems operate under conditions of overcrowding. ECHR decisions regarding the right to dignity of prisoners periodically illustrate the structural tendency of bad treatments, racists behaviours and negation of social and civic rights of prisoners (Ştefănoaia, 2025). This situation reflects the structural limits of a penal model that continues to rely on incarceration as a primary response to social, economic and political issues that it fails to resolve sustainably. FYEG already denounces through its work parts of this issue, as with its continued opposition to Frontex’ practices. This resolution aims to deepen this commitment by developing a political analysis of the European carceral system and promoting concrete and transformative alternatives, as almost 500 000 people were incarcerated in Europe in 2023 (Eurostat, 2025). Following Pierre Kropotkin, “You can’t improve a prison.” (Kropotkine, 1887). The goal here is not to suggest minor changes to make it a little worse, but to find another path regarding the way actions that are undermining our communities' well-being must be dealt with. Indeed, some actions or deficiencies done by individuals are indubitably detrimental to our communities. We can’t just demand the abolition of prisons without considering a serious political answer beyond it.

The current European carceral system is shaped by political, economic and institutional choices that determine who is punished, how, and why: it is not neutral. As Angela Davis underlines, prisons seem to be an “inevitable and permanent feature of our social lives” (Davis, 2003); it is important to denaturalise this way of doing justice. Prisons are the symptom of a broader failure: societies addressing social vulnerabilities through punishment rather than prevention, care, redistribution and inclusion. It relies on a systemic shift happening since the end of the XVIIIth Century, with the aim to discipline society (Foucault, 1977). The failure is therefore systemic, not limited to the prison system itself.

European data shows that incarceration rates vary significantly between countries and do not directly correlate with crime levels. This confirms that imprisonment is primarily a political choice. Carceral systems reproduce and intensify existing inequalities. They disproportionately affect working-class individuals, racialised communities and those facing social or psychological vulnerability. An intersectional perspective reveals how these dynamics are embedded in broader power structures. Furthermore, prison systems often fail to achieve their stated goals. Overcrowding, poor detention conditions and difficulties in reintegration highlight the structural limitations of incarceration as a central policy response.

For young generations, this issue is critical. It raises a fundamental question: whether Europe will continue to rely on punitive systems, or move towards models based on prevention, social justice and human dignity. These factors can only lead us to adopt a clear and radical anti-prison stance. However, our political responsibility means we cannot stop at this observation alone; we must also put forward concrete solutions. European prison systems are reaching a breaking point. Overcrowding, degrading conditions and policy inefficiencies demonstrate the limits of a punitive model.

We call on European institutions, governments, political actors and civil society to move beyond incremental reforms and rethinking responses to harm through dignity, prevention and social justice.

On the fringes, some experiments show that another approach is possible. For instance, the Scottish Government decided to drastically reduce short prison sentences, and instead focus on prevention policies to reduce reoffending. It relies on Community Payback Orders and providing good health treatment and accommodation to the convicted person (Freeman & Glyn, 2016). Nordic Countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway), where the imprisonment rate is the lowest in Europe, have developed several alternatives to imprisonment, through Community Sanctions like community service or treatment orders (Lappi-Seppälä, 2019).

While these examples still rely on the idea of governing bodies and behaviours, it gets out of the prison-centric penal system, which is a first step towards a prison-free Europe. For our generation, the choice is clear: building a Europe that protects without reproducing inequality.

We as Federation of Young European Greens call to:

• Clearly establish that advocating for abolition requires thinking about the after-prison realities or the alternatives to the current systems.

• Identify the relevant actors in instances of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights.

• Address this topic on an European legislative level.

• Train activists and political actors of all kinds to the question of incarceration and how to address its issues. In collaboration with concerned collectives and participants of the political criticism of the system, these trainings should aim at planning actions to gather support for a positive change in our systems.

We propose as viable plans of actions, for:

Member States to:

• Reduce reliance on incarceration, particularly for non-violent offences;

• Expand and fund alternatives to detention (restorative justice, non-custodial sanctions);

• Invest in prevention policies (mental health, housing, social support);

• ensure detention conditions comply with European standards;

• improve transparency and data collection.

The European Union to:

• strengthen its indirect role regarding detention conditions through existing instruments;

• support the development of common standards on alternatives to imprisonment;

• fund research and exchange of best practices;

• ensure that EU funding does not reinforce over-incarceration.

The Council of Europe and monitoring bodies to:

• reinforce monitoring of detention conditions;

• ensure effective implementation of existing standards;

• document systemic violations of fundamental rights.

The Green political family to:

• integrate a clear critique of mass incarceration into political programmes;

• promote restorative and transformative justice approaches;

• link carceral issues with broader social and democratic struggles.

FYEG Member Organisations to:

• develop national advocacy strategies;

• build expertise on carceral issues;

• collaborate with civil society actors, especially those directly involving prisoners or former prisoners;

• share best practices across Europe.

References

Davis, Angela Y. 2003. Are Prisons Obsolete? Open Media Ser. Seven Stories Press.

Eurostat. 2025. « Prison capacity and number of persons held ». https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/CRIM_PRIS_CAP__custom_16514342/default/table?lang=en.

Freeman, Ruth, & Glyn Lloyd. 2016. « A research approach to support the empowerment of alternatives to prison ». Rivista di Criminologia, Vittimologia e Sicurezza, no X, 3, 2016 (décembre). https://doi.org/10.14664/rcvs/635.

Foucault, Michel. 1977. Discipline and punish: the birth of the prison. Pantheon Books.

Kropotkin, Petr Alekseevich. 1887. In Russian and French Prisons. University of California Libraries. London, Ward and Downey. http://archive.org/details/inrussianfrenchp00kroprich.

Ştefănoaia, Mihai. 2025. « Criminal Justice and Human Dignity: A European Perspective on the Limits of Punitive Power in Light of ECHR Jurisprudence ». European Journal of Law and Public Administration 12 (1): 69‑77.