Notes on Scandinavian Prisons

Scandinavian Prisons

Open Prisons as a Model

Scandinavian "open" prisons, where detainees live like regular citizens, are suggested as a model for the U.S.
Suomenlinna Island in Helsinki hosts an open prison since 1971, with 95 male prisoners on the verge of release.
Prisoners commute to work or study, doing general maintenance for the township.
Cellblocks resemble university dorms with amenities like flat-screen TVs and mini-refrigerators.
Prisoners earn wages between 4.10 to 7.3 Euros per hour (5.30 to 9.50).
They can spend time with families and enjoy facilities like a barbecue pit and gym.
Prisoners wear their own clothes, and officers wear navy slacks and powder-blue shirts without batons or handcuffs.

Contrasting Scandinavian and American Prisons

Not all Nordic prisons are open; closed prisons exist, modeled after Philadelphia’s Eastern State and New York’s Auburn.
Scandinavian closed prisons feature table tennis, pool tables, steel darts, and aquariums in common areas.
Correctional officers have rehabilitative and security roles, with each prisoner having a "contact officer."
American corrections officers face job-related hazards, with an average life expectancy of 59.
Criminal justice policy in Scandinavia is left to professionals, criminologists, and academics, avoiding political debate.
Media doesn't sensationalize crime, and the nations have strong social service networks and public education.

Scale of Incarceration

Sweden's prison population is 6,900, less than half of Rikers Island's at its peak (14,000).
U.S. incarceration rates are the highest globally, about 10 times those in Scandinavia.
The issue is the fear of prisons and prisoners and basic assumptions about justice.
Even with a 90 percent drop in the U.S. prison population, it's uncertain if officials would handle prisoners differently.

Recidivism

Nordic prisons have recidivism rates of 20-30 percent compared to the U.S. with 40-70 percent.

Social Science Research

Over the past four decades, a "tougher on crime" arms race has been built upon white unease with racial order disruption.
Politicians and media have encouraged fears of black perpetrators, leading to mass incarceration of the urban poor for non-violent drug crimes.
Incarceration and crime rates in the U.S. have no fixed relationship.

Prison Size and Crime Rates

New York shrank its prison population by 20 percent while crime rates dropped by 29 percent (1999-2009).
Finland lowered its incarceration rates by 75 percent across periods of both rising and stable crime (1950s).
Prison size is determined by what states treat as crimes and public demand for punishment.

Social Distance and Punishment

Few middle-class white Americans know someone sentenced to prison, while even fewer black Americans do not.
Nils Christie concluded that the more unlike oneself the imagined perpetrator of crime, the harsher the imposed conditions.

Kenneth E. Hartman's Explanation of Recidivism

Most prisoners are uneducated, traumatized, and have mental health problems, addictions, and self-esteem issues.
They often lack competent health care, mental health care, drug treatment, and education.
The system reinforces negative identities, leading prisoners to become who they are told they are.

Impact of Poverty and Trauma

Convicted criminals bring poverty-related issues, such as broken homes, mental illness, and addiction, to prison.
Prisons institutionalize these issues rather than remediate them.
Prisoners see staff rewarded for harsh treatment and know parole decisions are political.
Witnessing humiliation, racism, and physical assault can hinder reflection and self-searching.

Principle of Normality

In Scandinavian prisons, life inside resembles life outside as much as possible, with the principle of normality guiding practices.
The punishment is the restriction of liberty; no other rights have been removed.
Progression through a sentence should aim at returning to the community.

Erik's Experience in a Danish Open Prison

Erik was finishing a 10-year sentence for drug-related murder in a Danish open prison.
He attended addiction treatment and studied for his public-school diploma.
The prison had no perimeter wall and housed a dairy and greenhouses.
Erik had a room with TV, computer, sound system, and cell phone.
He emphasized the importance of the phone for family contact.

Regret and Responsibility

Edvin, the director of education, worried about plans to build a closed prison nearby.
Erik acknowledged, "I did this to myself," showing personal responsibility.

Jeremy's Contrasting Experience in a Maximum-Security Prison

Jeremy, serving 22 years to life in a maximum-security prison, faced challenges due to conflicts with religious practice and guards.
He was raised by an abusive stepfather and killed a bully at age 17.
Despite regret, he faced counselors and self-protection in a harsh environment.

Jake's Self-Credentialing Plan

Jake, from a privileged background, killed his crime partner and was sentenced to a long term.
He grappled with self-loathing and resentment at the prison's destructive nature.

Systemic Racism and Punishment

Older men express regret overshadowed by anger against arbitrary suffering.
The system teaches race- and class-based lessons about who deserves fairness and justice.
Essays by incarcerated individuals reveal that the system exists for tax-funded profits and jobs.
Beatings, arbitrary punishment, and poor health care are the norm along with inadequate programs for addicts and alcoholics.

Homogeneity

Scandinavian prisons are as racially and ethnically homogeneous as American prisons.
Laws, enforcement policies, and prison practices reflect what the majority assumes would work for themselves.
The prison system does not seek to widen the social distance between law-abiding families and people convicted of crimes.

Tolerance and Punishment in Norway

After a massacre in Norway, the nation responded with a deeper embrace of tolerance.
The killer will likely never see the free world again, but his suffering is and will continue to be his own.

Tocqueville's Warning

Alexis de Tocqueville and Gustave de Baumont warned against extremes in advocating certain means, obscuring the object sought.

Answers to Questions

The American tourists felt uneasy because they were confronted with a prison environment that did not match their expectations of punishment and security. The lack of visible barriers and the relaxed atmosphere challenged their understanding of what a prison should be.
Prisoners wearing identical uniforms reinforces a sense of uniformity and dehumanization, emphasizing their status as inmates and stripping them of individuality. Wearing their own clothes allows prisoners to maintain a sense of self and personal identity, promoting dignity and facilitating rehabilitation by normalizing their environment.
Scandinavian correctional officers have both rehabilitative and security roles. Each prisoner has a "contact officer" that monitors and helps with the progress to return to the outside world. This helps officers avoid the damage experienced by purely punitive functions like stress, hypertension, alcoholism, and suicide. American corrections officers often face more punitive roles with less emphasis on rehabilitation, which can lead to job-related hazards and a lower average life expectancy.
The prison population of Sweden (6,900) is less than half the population of Rikers Island at its height (14,000). The effect that prison size could have on how well they serve and rehabilitate prisoners depends on a quality of prison practice. The U.S. incarceration rates are the highest in the world, about 10 times those throughout Scandinavia, which are among the world’s lowest.
The benefit of keeping the criminal justice policy out of public political discussions is to ensure that decisions about best practices are left to professionals in the field, such as criminologists and academics, who can make evidence-based decisions without being swayed by populist opinions or political pressures. This approach helps maintain a focus on effective rehabilitation and public safety, rather than politically motivated policies.
Recidivism rates are the rates at which people re-offend after being released from prison. Nordic countries have recidivism rates of approximately 20-30 percent, whereas the USA has rates of approximately 40-70 percent. The lower recidivism rates in Nordic countries suggest that their prison systems are more effective at rehabilitation compared to the USA.
The size of prison populations is determined by what a state decides to treat as crimes and punish, how much punishment the public demands, and the influence of the prison industry in fomenting such demand.
Nils Christie concluded that the more unlike oneself the imagined perpetrator of a crime, the harsher the conditions one will agree to impose upon convicted criminals. More homogeneous nations institutionalize mercy.
Kenneth E. Hartman explains the high recidivism in the US penal system by pointing out that most prisoners are uneducated, traumatized, and suffer from mental health problems, addictions, and low self-esteem. The system tends to reinforce negative identities by failing to provide them with adequate care and opportunities for rehabilitation.
Fair treatment can significantly affect a prisoner's experience by fostering self-respect and a sense of justice. When prisoners feel they are treated fairly, they are more likely to engage in rehabilitation programs, reflect on their actions, and take responsibility for their crimes. This can reduce resentment and promote a more positive attitude towards reintegration into society.
Erik and Jeremy's experiences highlight the differences between Scandinavian and American prison systems. Erik, in a Danish open prison, had opportunities for education, maintained family ties, and felt a sense of personal responsibility. Jeremy, in a US maximum-security prison, faced harsh conditions, lacked support, and struggled with feelings of injustice. While Erik had a chance at rehabilitation, Jeremy's experience was more focused on survival and enduring a punitive environment.