What Swedish Prisons Can Teach Us

Published February 18, 2022

A prison is a place of rehabilitation in Nordic countries like Sweden, which have far lower incarceration and crime rates. It also works far more effectively.

Swedish Prisons Take on People’s Shape

Sweden’s prison population has decreased from 5,722 to 4,500 in the last decade, out of a total of 9.5 million residents. The country has closed a lot of jails, and its recidivism rate is only about 40%, far lower than the majority of European countries and in the United States.

Nils Öberg, director-general of Sweden’s prison and probation service, thinks that the way prisoners are treated in Sweden contributes to the country’s low incarceration and recidivism rates.

While some people must be imprisoned, the goal must be to reintroduce them into society in a lot better shape than when they entered.

Nordic Influence on Swedish Prisons

Nordic countries, in general, have an impressive track record of reducing the number of individuals who enter and/or re-enter their prisons. Numerous variables contribute to their prison systems’ effectiveness compared to other Western countries. For example, they are inclusive societies characterized by shared prosperity and low racial tension. However, the low percentage of re-incarceration, in particular, suggests an alternate model of prisoner treatment.

Every prisoner is assigned a “contact officer” who watches and supports progress toward reintegration into the outside world — a practice introduced to enable officers to avoid the damage associated with implementing strictly punitive functions.

While high-security facilities in the United States frequently involve confining and dehumanizing inmates, prisons in Nordic countries treat inmates as individuals with psychosocial needs that must be met with care. Prison personnel operates in a dual role as enforcer and social worker, managing behavioral regulation and reintegration preparation.