NCJ Number
131809
Date Published
1991
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The Swedish prison system and the conditions and programs at a typical Swedish prison for adult male offenders are described.
Abstract
Imprisonment is used for only 5 percent of Swedish offenders, and most prison sentences are fairly short. For most offenders, conditional release is automatically granted after two-thirds of the sentence has been served. Drunk driving, theft, and violent crimes are the most frequent offenses among inmates followed by drug law offenses, fraud, and offenses against military regulations. The Nykoping closed neighborhood prison is typical in its inmate population, staffing, programs, and architecture. In September 1989 it housed 31 inmates, including 1 woman and 30 men. Prisoners receive pay for both work and study and can receive visitors in private rooms with no staff present. Urine testing for marijuana and other drugs take place on entry and periodically thereafter. Inmate-staff relations are relaxed. Problems include the drawbacks of the five-person living units, the lack of attention to the special problems of women prisoners, and lack of effective interagency collaboration in planning for release. Nevertheless, Sweden has been trying to resist pressures for harsher prison conditions, and current conditions are generally positive. Note and 10 references