NCJ Number
101067
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 9 Issue: 2 Dated: (Winter 1985) Pages: 59-70
Date Published
1985
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The changes in the penal sanctions in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) during the last 25 years illustrate the far-reaching penal changes that are the most notable feature of developments in criminal law in this century.
Abstract
These changes reflect the social and political system, as well as developments in cultural history and in thinking about people and society. In the 19th century, imprisonment was the main type of punishment. At the time of the liberation of the GDR, the penalty system rested on the code of the German empire of the 1870's, with various amendments since then. The new socialist system that developed resulted in a sharp drop in the crime rate and the complete revision of the system of penalties. Further changes in the penalty system were enacted through legislation in the 1960's, culminating in the 1968 codification of criminal law. The penalty system includes conditional sentences, the use of public reprimands, and the use of dispute commissions (social courts) for minor offenses. The social courts deal with almost one-fourth of all criminal cases. More than one-third of all offenses result in sentences suspended on probation. Most prison terms are less than 1 year, and only 5 percent of all offenses are punished with prison terms of 2 or more years. The criminal code emphasizes the offender's responsibility and the need for re-education of offenders. The system has been a success and will probably not undergo major changes. 1 note. (Publisher abstract)