Creative Commons 2.0, "Crime Scene Tape," By Ash Photoholic-Flickr
Incarceration Rates
With a population of just under 10 million citizens, Sweden manages to boast extremely low numbers for their prison rates. Currently, there is a little more than 5,000 prisoners in the country, and this value has been on a steady decline over the past few decades [3]. Even in the past ten years, Sweden has been able to lower the amount of prisoners by 23 percent [1].
Copyrighted Image used under fair use standards, By Lars Pehrson, Courtesy of The Local SE
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Copyrighted Image used under fair use standards, Courtesy of Bra Crime and Statistics
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Recidivism Rates
Not only are the prison rates extremely low for Sweden, but along with that are the rates for recidivism. With a value around 40 percent, this number is "far less than most U.S. and European countries" [2]. This is believed to be attributed to the rehabilitative nature of the prison systems, which is designed with the purpose of helping prisoners be able to live a productive life once they are finished with their sentencing [2]. However, even though the recidivism rates are low, the statistics have shown little change over time [1]. The individuals that tend to be at risk of relapsing into crime were those with previous adjudications, and on top of that, factors such as sex have a large impact on the chances of relapsing [1].
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Copyrighted Image used under fair use standards, Courtesy of Bra Crime and Statistics
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The Catch
Though Sweden is able to boast great numbers for how low their incarceration and recidivism rates are, there has been a growing problem of overcrowding within the prisons. With just 79 prisons to house all their 5,000 + inmates, the prisons are just about at 95 percent of their maximum capacity [4]. This overcrowding has lead to the rise other growing issues, such as violence against officers and inmates, as well as presence of illegal weapons [4]. The primary reason behind the overcrowding is attributed mainly to the tougher penalties being given to prisoners. As the level of crime increases behind the prison walls, the prevalence of hidden weapons is increasing as "prisoners feel the need to arm themselves against attacks" [4]. These weapons are predominantly "homemade, including filed toothbrushes and sharpened pieces of plastic that have been broken off food trays" [4].
Sources
- Bra. “The Prison and Probation Service.” Brottsförebyggande Rådet, 2017, www.bra.se/bra-in-english/home/crime-and-statistics/crime-statistics/the-prison-and-probation-service.html.
- Aleem, Zeeshan. “Why the U.S. Needs to Start Paying Attention to Sweden's Remarkable Prison System.” Mic, Mic Network Inc., 26 Oct. 2015, mic.com/articles/109138/sweden-has-done-for-its-prisoners-what-the-u-s-won-t#.hd7VhO3mE.
- James, Erwin. “'Prison Is Not for Punishment in Sweden. We Get People into Better Shape' | Erwin James.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 26 Nov. 2014, www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/26/prison-sweden-not-punishment-nils-oberg.
- The Local. “Violence on the Rise in Sweden's Nearly-Full Prisons.” The Local, The Local, 12 July 2018, www.thelocal.se/20180712/violence-on-the-rise-in-swedens-nearly-full-prisons.