In principle, there is often the possibility of working off the required fine through so-called “freie Arbeit.” For some people, this option can be tolerable, as it interferes less drastically with everyday life than a stay in prison, and may be subjectively perceived as more meaningful. For many people, however, applying for and completing such work already presents an organizational barrier. (Many EFS prisoners are affected by massive psychological and/or addiction problems). In general, we criticize this practice because it does not solve the problem that poverty is punished. Forcing people to work also penalizes them for not being able to afford certain goods, i.e. for being too poor to legally participate in society. (An additional, legalistic argument against “Arbeit statt Strafe” criticizes the fact that it introduces labor as a type of punishment underhandedly).
