After a call was sent out for volunteers to take part in testing a brand new Zurich prison, the authorities have reported that over 800 residents of Zurich have signed up to spend time behind bars. Sadly, this means the prison is fully booked.

A little break in a Swiss prison now fully booked

Called “a little break - in custody” by the Tages-Anzeiger, the brand new Zurich West prison needed to test how the facility would run when it was occupied. The police sent out a call to Zurich residents to volunteer to serve a four-day sentence in March, saying it was the ideal way to experience what prison is like, without having to break the law.

The registration period is now over, with the emergency services announcing that 832 people have signed up, meaning the facility is fully booked. Applicants will now face an extensive security check by cantonal authorities and will be whittled down to a select few.

Authorities hope to simulate Swiss prison life accurately

Volunteers will be used to test the operations of the new facility, which will mean prison life is to be simulated as accurately as possible. This means that mobile phones and other gadgets are not allowed, although authorities clarified that a strip search is only voluntary. 

Inmates will also receive a password if they find the confines of their cell to be too much. Authorities hope the test will show that the facility - which has 241 detention places and creates 150 jobs - is up to scratch.