Winterthur Prison
Winterthur Prison is a pre-trial prison, housing mainly pre-trial detainees of the prosecution office Winterthur / Unterland. Here, you can find out more about the general conditions of the pre-trial prison – from visiting hours to the inmates’ work options.
Table of contents
About us
Winterthur Prison (Gefängnis Winterthur) mainly houses pre-trial detainees and security detainees of the prosecution office Winterthur / Unterland.
The Winterthur Prison thus plays an important role in prosecution of the second-largest city in the Canton of Zurich. Owing to cutbacks, the Winterthur prison was temporarily disused in 2004 but had to be re-opened shortly thereafter due to persistent overcrowding – provisionally at first.
The definite re-opening of the Winterthur Prison took place on July 1st, 2005, with a slightly reduced staff number because the in-house kitchen had been closed and the catering has been outsourced.
Advantages:
- Capacity: 48 places
- Staff: 16,0 positions
Visits
Visiting hours
Monday to Friday:
8 am to 11 am
1.30 pm to 4 pm
5.30 pm to 6.30 pm
Wednesday afternoons (reserved for families with children):
1.30 pm to 4 pm
5.30 pm to 6.30 pm
No visits are possible on national holidays.
Visitation permit and registration
Advantages:
- Before you visit, you must get a visitation permit from the public prosecutor's office.
- Advance registration by phone is mandatory for visits to the inmates: +41 43 258 17 32
Supervision & treatment
In every prison, medical service, pastoral work, and social counselling are available. In case of an inmate facing psychological problems, he may consult a psychiatrist.
Within two weeks of admission, all inmates will be given a medical check-up at no charge. Part of these check-ups are examinations of working ability and fitness for enforcement. If need be, further checks or therapies will be implemented.
For more in-depth information on supervision and treatment, please check our house regulations (in German):
Work
For inmates in pre-trial- or in preventive detention, work or school attendance are not mandatory. If a person in pre-trial- or in preventive detention has committed to working on a voluntary basis, he or she has to carry out the tasks assigned to him or her.
Inmates carry out the following tasks:
- Handling of articles in series
- Mounting
- Packing and repackaging
- Equipping
- Assemblies
- Sorting
- Packing, labelling, and dispatching mailings
- Cardboard packaging
Money transfer to inmates
Cash for a detained person can be handed in against receipt to the prison management during regular business hours.
Money can also be transferred. Please find the bank details below:
| Name des Finanzinstituts |
PostFinance, 3030 Bern |
|---|---|
| Einzahlung für |
Gefängnis Winterthur, Hermann Götz-Strasse 22, 8400 Winterthur |
| Konto | 84-2831-2 |
| IBAN | CH96 0900 0000 8400 2831 2 |
| SWIFT/BIC | POFICHBEXXX |
| Clearing-Nr. | 09000 |
Please be sure to include the first and last name of the inmate you wish to transfer funds to so that the prison management can allocate the amount to the correct account!
Leisure & holidays
Inmates have the opportunity to use the gym. In any case, inmates can complete an individual training programme in their free time in the cell. The prison management decides whether equipment for physical exercise (plastic dumbbells, etc.) is permitted.
Inmates of the security division are not allowed to use the gym.
Inmates in pre-trial or preventive detention are not granted any releases on temporary licence. Still, inmates may apply to the prison service for prison leaves that allow them to take care of legal, personal, or business-related issues that require their attendance outside the institution.
Further information
Use the accordion controls to toggle the visibility of each panel (below the controls).
ch.zh.web.internet.core.components.feedback.pleasegivefeedback
Is this page comprehensible?
Thank you for your feedback
Contact
8400 Winterthur