More on prison reform...

Sweden finds it important to rehabilitate their criminals rather than punish them.  This is something that the Scandinavian country takes pride in along with running a humane prison system. The prisons in Sweden are considered some of the most comfortable in the world, so much so that Saddam Hussein’s lawyers tried to get him transferred there after his capture in 2003.  After some high profile escapes in 2004, Sweden began to debate their penal policies and implement harsher security procedures especially with criminals with a violent record.  As you will read, some of the privileges prisoners were getting in Swedish prisons sounds like a holiday rather then jail.  There really is no point of a prison other than keeping the criminal away from society, if they are not limiting the prisoner’s liberties.  What has Sweden done to prevent escapes and eliminate contraband from their liberal prisons?

Prisoners can also apply for leaves up to four hours accompanied by staff members according to Lizette Alvarez from The New York Times in an article regarding prison escapes in 2004.  Violent offenders can apply for a leave up to four hours and they will be chaperoned by a prison staff member. Reports have said that the budget for this is shrinking but it is still going on. I understand that it does not mean that it will be approved but this is a waste of time and money.  Why give them that option if it will just be denied?  Even if the prisoner is not violent, why should the law afford four hour leaves to convicted criminals?  The government also has to pay for the correctional offices to accompany the criminal on this outing.  This poses a risk for the officer as even if the criminal has a non-violent background, he may be desperate enough to escape that he just pay graduate to violence.  After reviewing policy and procedures of the prisons in Sweden, I think that they should not let the prisoners have so much freedom and privileges.  When they were convicted of the crime that got them put into the criminal justice system, they should loose their rights.  Some inmates might have been convicted of drug trafficking which is not a violent offence yet is still very serious and no leave time should ever be granted to a criminal of that caliber. 

Prison officials say inmates are savvier, bolder, more organized and more violent than in the past; they have become more adept at smuggling in contraband, including weapons and cell phones as reported in the Lizette Alvarez from The New York Times.  Prison officials have the best analysis of situation as they work inside the walls, so if they are making these kinds of statements about the current criminal locked up in Sweden then I think it would be a fair assumption that the justice system needs a closer look. 

Televisions in every cell are a luxury and rewards criminals for their bad behavior. Bored inmates, even get those in high security prisons can simply switch on their television sets.  There is on in every room or cell. This practice would not be permitted in the prisons in the Unites States as the programs are stricter there.  A television room would be a brighter idea and would be a reward for prisons that are reformed and following policy in the prison.  That would still be a luxury but it pales when compared to TV sets in each cell.  Rather than giving criminals the option to relax in front of a TV and watch a sitcom, there should be a privilege that allows the inmate to make a visit to the prison library.  High security usually means that the criminal is violent or a possible sex offender.  At the point of conviction this TV luxury should be revoked.  Prison is not a vacation but rather time to reflect on what the offender has done to break the law. 

Cell phones smuggled into jails are thought to have played an important roll in organizing both of Sweden’s most recent prison escapes, and one female guard was forced to resign after admitting that she had snuck a phone into one of the prisons. This means that the prison is not keeping its employees honest and it is causing security breaches which could endanger other officers, employees and even other inmates not participating in the breaches.  When this guard smuggled in that cell phone, it could have easily been a knife which could have led to a serious injury or death of a correctional officer or inmate.  Not only would this have been disastrous, the government has to pay the medical bills of the injured costing the prison money.  These situations could be avoided if the security is increased for guards when they enter prison grounds.  Routine checks of employee lockers and mandatory metal detector scans of each guard before they can interact with the prisoners would help prevent weapons or cell phones from getting in the hands of inmates.  With routine security checks, I think that guards would think twice before doing favors for inmates as far as smuggling. 

According to the newspaper the vast majority of those held in Sweden's prisons and other secure units are smokers. Indeed, statistics show that almost 95% of prisoners smoke - compared to less than 20% of men in general.  For guards to let an inmate go outside to smoke at a maximum security prison is not an easy task and it can be debated if this luxury should be permitted to a high risk criminal.  In recent reports, Sweden has considered a ban on smoking for these very reasons. 

With close to 5,000 inmates, Sweden’s 43 medium-security and 4 maximum security prisons are operating at capacity.  With prisons full to the brim with inmates, overcrowding could end up a problem soon and with lax security procedures, this leaves the door open for inmate-on-inmate violence, injured guards, and contraband.  I think this also has made it easier for prisoners to escape as the guards will not have the best time keeping track of each inmate.  With the above mentioned security breaches plus the prisons at capacity and possibility of overcrowding in the future, a change is needed if the prison system wants to maintain a safe environment for all of its occupants. 

In 2008, 69 escaped directly from Swedish prisons, 61 of whom escaped from open prisons that lack escape security. 

Longer sentences have led to massive overcrowding in jails. Since 1991, the prison population has grown from 4,110 to 5,320 with 60 per cent on some form of drug addiction. The collapse of Europe's eastern borders has led to an influx of foreign criminals who now make up 27 per cent of the prison population.

Decades in which Sweden had pioneered rehabilitation rather than punishment and long-term incarceration are now under scrutiny.

Swedish prisons are handling more dangerous inmates from Eastern Europe, more people doing time for drug crimes and a record number of prisoners serving life sentences. 

Metal detectors are rare, conjugal visits routine and unlocked cell doors the norm.