Radical changes to the penal execution system... Pro-government media announces details of the new regulation

Preparations for radical changes to the penal execution system have begun. Throughout the summer, the AKP will review the current execution system from top to bottom in coordination with the Ministry of Justice.

According to a report by the Sabah newspaper, the study aims not only to re-evaluate the special regulations implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic but also to simplify and standardize the entire execution system.

COVID REGULATION NOT INCLUDED, BUT ON THE AGENDA

The AKP and its People's Alliance partner, the MHP, did not include temporary COVID-19-specific regulations in the latest execution law. However, this does not mean the issue has been completely removed from the agenda. Party sources believe it would be more appropriate to address the regulation in question as part of a comprehensive penal reform. Drafts are expected to take concrete shape once Parliament resumes its work on October 1.

According to the currently effective Law on the Execution of Penalties, execution periods vary depending on the type of crime committed. While half of the sentence is served in prison for ordinary crimes and two-thirds for organized crimes, it is necessary to remain in prison for thirty years for aggravated life sentences and twenty-four years for life sentences to be eligible for conditional release.

EXECUTION RATIOS TO BE REDETERMINED

The new system aims to simplify the execution periods currently applied with different ratios. Options on the table include setting a fixed 1/2 ratio for ordinary crimes and a 3/2 ratio for crimes that draw public reaction, such as sexual assault, organized crime, and child abuse.

Another option is to apply a single execution ratio—for example, 1/2—for all types of crimes.

In the new regulation, not only execution ratios but also conditional release criteria will be redefined. There are plans to prevent individuals who commit crimes again after being released from prison or who cannot adapt to society from being released again. In this context, it is stated that criteria such as the rehabilitation process and psychosocial evaluations will come to the fore.

The functioning of observation boards within the execution system will also be part of the reform. By increasing the authority and responsibilities of the observation boards that manage the release processes of convicts in prisons, the aim is to establish a more effective evaluation process.

EXECUTION PERIODS ACCORDING TO CURRENT PRACTICE

According to the legislation currently in force, execution periods are as follows:

Aggravated life imprisonment: 30 years

Life imprisonment: 24 years

Fixed-term imprisonment: Half of the sentence

Intentional killing, torture, sexual assault, crimes against children, drugs, state secrets, and espionage: 3/2

Organized crimes, crimes within the scope of the Anti-Terror Law: 3/2

Those who receive multiple aggravated life sentences or one aggravated and one normal life sentence: 36 years