Summary

European countries largely differ in the basic principles of penal law that they apply and, in particular, with regard to imprisonment. The author examines the German penal law and its main underlying principles, which are the application of imprisonment ultima ratio and the application of short-term imprisonment only in exceptional cases. A brief overview of the statistics of sentences in Germany is given in comparison with other European countries. The author concludes that despite the relatively small number of prisoners in Germany, the proportion of short-term imprisonment is nevertheless high even though serious attempts are made to minimise the application of this type of punishment. The author also looks at plans to reform the system of sanctions.

Finally the author examines the prison system in Germany and focuses on problems related to providing detainees with jobs and to the special needs of women prisoners.