Marcel Brugger’s struggle with unpaid public transport fines underscores a wider issue in Switzerland’s penal system. With 53% of prison admissions in 2023 due to Ersatzfreiheitsstrafe—imprisonment for unpaid fines—many, like Brugger, face repeated incarcerations not for serious crimes but for inability to pay. The financial toll is steep, costing taxpayers millions and filling prisons beyond capacity. Experts argue for urgent reforms to alleviate this cycle of punishment, which disproportionately affects the economically disadvantaged, as some lose their jobs due to these imprisonments.