New salaries for prisoners: Wages are rising, old problems remain!

New salaries for prisoners: Wages are rising, old problems remain!

In Germany, prisoners can work during their prison term and earn a little extra money. However, remuneration for prison labor is a hotly debated topic, especially after a landmark ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court on June 20, 2023. The court recognized that existing wages do not meet the requirements of the rehabilitation requirement. This ruling has far-reaching consequences for the remuneration of prisoners throughout Germany, which must be adjusted by the end of June 2025 at the latest. Mainpost reports that In Bavaria the hourly rates will be increased from July 1, 2025; the remuneration is already between 2.02 and 3.37 euros.

The regulations for paying prisoners differ greatly between the federal states. With around 440 companies, Bavaria has a wide range of possible activities, including printing shops and laundries. Loud Federal Constitutional Court Today, the Bavarian Prison Act regulates that prisoners only receive 9% of the reference amount according to SGB IV as remuneration. Critics argue that this is far too little to offset the rising cost of living in prison.

The new compensation and its challenges

The tariff developments show that the pressure on the federal states to increase their wages is increasing. In North Rhine-Westphalia, a daily rate of 25.12 euros is currently paid, so the remuneration there is significantly higher than in Bavaria. In Berlin there is also a significant increase planned, from 2.50 euros to 4.25 euros. Lawyer.de has found that Most federal states plan to increase compensation to around 15% of the average salary of those with pension insurance.

For many prisoners, financial compensation is an important part of rehabilitation. Their work must be appropriately recognized so that they do not fall back into old patterns after their dismissal. The reforms were triggered not only by the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court, but also by the states' rehabilitation concepts, which must meet strict standards. However, most prisoners currently do not have free access to the money they earn; In Bavaria they are only allowed to use three sevenths of their salary as house money.

The Federal Constitutional Court made it clear that the remuneration must meet the principle of rehabilitation. Fair remuneration could also contribute to the reintegration of prisoners. Because, as a complainant from Bavaria noted, the prices for food and hygiene products in prison have risen sharply, while remuneration has not been adjusted sufficiently since 2001. The discussion about fair remuneration for prisoners is far from over, and the coming months could be crucial for the future of prison labor in Germany.