Translated by UiOGPT
In 2019, a group of prison officers from the state of Pennsylvania, USA, came to Norway. For three weeks, they were to learn about the Scandinavian way of running prisons.
They could hardly believe what they saw: staff and inmates cooking and eating together, kitchens with sharp knives and heavy pots, cozy single cells, and communal areas.
In the Pennsylvania prison, inmates received meals in the cafeteria. They shared rooms, with a toilet right next to the bunk bed. Staff and inmates were not allowed to have anything resembling a friendly relationship.
"In Scandinavia, there is a fundamental idea that the loss of freedom is the punishment. Inside the prison, efforts are made to facilitate change in people. Such a model differs from many other countries," says Synøve Nygaard Andersen.
Made 'Little Scandinavia' in the USA
She is a researcher at the University of Oslo (UiO) and one of the initiators of The Scandinavian Prison Project, where the state-run SCI Chester prison is testing a model inspired by the Scandinavian one. A department has been named 'Little Scandinavia', and who gets to go there is decided by lottery.
Andersen and her research colleague Jordan Hyatt from Drexel University are keeping an eye on what happens.
Changed physical structure, prison rules, and education offerings
When the department 'Little Scandinavia' was to be established, the prison worked on three things. One was changing the physical structure. Everyone in the department would get their own cell and access to a kitchen, laundry, and pleasant communal areas both outdoors and indoors. This way, they became more comfortable, as well as more active and responsible in their daily life, and thus better prepared for life outside.
The second point was new rules. The department would be exempt from some of the strict rules regarding social interactions. Inmates and staff would be able to cook together and have long conversations. The idea was to foster a more trust-based relationship where the officers were better equipped to contribute to rehabilitation and reintegration work.
The third was to provide the officers with better educational opportunities. This involved more study trips to Scandinavia and an expanded educational program in the USA.
In March 2020, a pilot period started for six inmates who were initially going to be in the department for a couple of months before more joined. However, COVID-19 led to significant delays. Finally, in May 2022, the department opened at half capacity. In November of the same year, the department was full, with 64 inmates – half as many as had lived there before 2020.
Fewer rule violations among the inmates
Throughout the process, Andersen, Hyatt, and the rest of the research group have followed the inmates and the staff with questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires have also been sent out to inmates in the rest of the prison. The researchers are additionally monitoring prison statistics.
"As of now, it's too early to say anything about recidivism. The inmates have long sentences, and most of those who have moved to the department are still there. But inside the prison, it seems that the most serious rule violations, such as violence and drug abuse, have been almost halved in Little Scandinavia compared to the comparison group," says Andersen.
The kitchen, which many were very skeptical about for safety reasons, has also worked well.
"Even I thought back to my student days and was concerned about hygiene conditions. But that kitchen is the cleanest and most spotless I've ever seen."
Single cells are popular
Overall, the inmates experience the prison environment as better than in the sections where they served before. They are pleased with having their own cells.
"In Norway, we see single cells as something obvious because we believe that everyone needs privacy. In the USA, prison management often views this as a significant security risk. In 'Little Scandinavia,' it has gone well so far, and the inmates tell us that they appreciate being able to retreat and relax."
However, according to Andersen, it has not been completely without problems. For example, it has been a big transition for both inmates and staff to socialize with each other.
"Many have been in prison for many years and have low trust in the officers. Now they are expected to sit and talk with them."
A challenge for the researchers is that they cannot be sure what is driving the positive changes they see. For instance, the inmates in Little Scandinavia have been given a unique opportunity, which in itself can contribute to change, Andersen points out.
Budget cuts threaten Norwegian prisons
Scandinavian prisons have a good reputation internationally. The Pennsylvania officers are neither the first nor the last to come to the region to learn. However, a prerequisite for humane imprisonment conditions is resources, points out Synøve N. Andersen.
UiO researchers Rose E. Boyle and Pernille Nyvoll have recently pointed out that budget cuts and understaffing are now a significant problem in Norwegian prisons.
Former prison director Are Høidal has also spoken about the same issue (in Norwegian).
Budget cuts are difficult to reconcile with increasing challenges in prisons, Andersen believes.
"From the police, one hears that criminal environments are becoming increasingly tough and more complex. We know from years of research that many inmates have mental health challenges. In addition, community-based corrections with measures such as electronic monitoring have become more common, which overall is positive, but at the same time results in a higher proportion of the prison population having a high-risk profile."
Is Scandinavia reversing into the future?
In the USA, many officers feel that they barely have time for more than locking inmates in and out of their cells and ensuring they are where they should be, she points out.
"The only way the prison in Pennsylvania could change this was to be allocated more resources. They needed more staff. If we in Norway go the other way, we will have less contact with inmates and more static work like locking and unlocking."
In Sweden, the situation is even more serious than in Norway, according to Andersen. Here, several prisons are now introducing double cells instead of single cells, and the plan is to triple the capacity over the next ten years. It is an explicit political goal for the prison sentences to be longer and harder, and the number of inmates will increase, but it is not clear if the number of officers will increase accordingly.
"Scandinavia has long been a pioneer region. With such a development, we are going backwards into the future. It's not enough for the officers to receive excellent training if we don't have the resources to put what they learn into practice," says Synøve Nygaard Andersen.