Suriname’s Public Prosecution Service has significantly expanded the operational scope of its Sentence Execution Department to ensure stricter enforcement of court rulings across a broader spectrum of criminal cases. This strategic move aims to reinforce the principle that judicial punishments are mandatory, not optional.
Previously focused primarily on traffic violations and labor law offenses, the department will now actively pursue the execution of sentences for a wide range of crimes. These include violations of the Road Traffic Act (Rijwet), the Drugs Act (Wet Verdovende Middelen), theft, embezzlement, forgery, fraud, and the disregard of court-issued protection orders.
The enhanced enforcement process involves locating convicted individuals to ensure they serve their court-mandated sentences. Depending on the specific verdict, this can include serving a prison term, paying a statutory fine, or a combination of financial compensation to victims and a fine payable to the state.
Following apprehension, convicted individuals are given an opportunity to settle their outstanding debts. Failure to pay or comply with an unconditional prison sentence results in immediate transfer to the House of Detention to serve the sentence. The Public Relations Unit of the Prosecution Service cited a recent case exemplifying this process: a man convicted for causing a traffic accident without a valid driver’s license was ordered to pay a fine and victim compensation totaling SRD 51,000. Non-payment would result in a substitute prison sentence of 61 weeks.
The Sentence Execution Department is headquartered at the Latour Police Station, Room 4. Through this expanded mandate, the Public Prosecution Service emphasizes that its rigorous enforcement contributes directly to legal certainty, rightful retribution, and crime prevention within Surinamese society.