Prison Reform: Norway Comes to Pennsylvania

 I think I have mentioned before that during my staying at Fort Dix FCI, there was a documentary about the Norway prison system. Turns out, Pennsylvania is attempting to bring Norwegian ideas to its prison system, A Pennsylvania prison gets a Scandinavian-style makeover – and shows how the US penal system could become more humane:

A recent collaboration between correctional services in Pennsylvania and several Scandinavian countries presents an opportunity to test these ideas. One Pennsylvania prison unit we are researching adapts elements from Scandinavian prisons, and offers a window into what drawing from other penal systems might look like in the U.S.

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Correctional systems throughout much of Scandinavia are guided by a general set of philosophical principles. In Sweden, these standards emphasize rehabilitation and encourage meaningful change, so incarcerated people can lead a better life.

In Norway, core values of safety, transparency and innovation are considered fundamental to the idea of creating normality in prison, the feeling that life as part of a community continues, even behind walls and bars.

Adhering to these principles means that, in some cases, incarcerated people can wear their own clothes, work in jobs that prepare them for employment and cook their own meals.

Prisons in Scandinavia are also small, with some housing roughly a dozen people – which is possible, given relatively low incarceration rates in the region.

In most cases, people in prison in Norway have access to many of the same social and educational services and programs as people who are not incarcerated.

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With single cells, a communal kitchen, Nordic-like furnishings and a landscaped, outdoor green space, Little Scandinavia looks unlike any other U.S. prison. Plants grow throughout the common areas. A large fish tank, maintained by staff and residents, is the centerpiece of an area designed to encourage people to gather.

A grocery program allows all of the residents to purchase fresh foods – a rarity in prison – and work directly with staff to send orders to a local store.

Each day, residents are expected to go to work, treatment or school, all within the prison.

Importantly, the correctional officers overseeing Little Scandinavia have received a range of training to facilitate communication with their assigned residents.

Drawing from Norway’s model, there is also a uniquely low ratio of trained staff to incarcerated men – one officer for eight residents, compared with the typical average of one staff member for 128 residents.

Although the community is still evolving, there have been no acts of violence, as some speculated would happen – even with access to kitchen equipment.

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Some analyses have shown that a Scandinavian approach, focused on normality and reintegration, can be potentially good for correctional officers, boosting their morale, independence and well-being.

Incarcerated people have also reported feeling safer and having more positive relationships with staff and other people living in the prisons. They also indicated greater satisfaction with their access to food and the reintegration support available to them.

SCI Chester shows that it is, in fact, possible to adapt Scandinavian-style penal philosophies and incorporate them into a Pennsylvania prison. This effort is a pilot, however, with significant costs, foundational support from committed leaders, and in partnership with many outside experts.

I spent most of my time at Ft. Dix in 12 man rooms. During the Covid quarantine, we got down to 7 men. I spent about a year in a two-man room, that was about 10' by 4'.  

My case manager never had any idea of what he could do to help me reintegrate into society. Frankly, neither does the probation officer supervising my release.

People were attacked - thieves, particularly so. However, there was a very violent beat down of one prisoner by a group over the use of that person's (contraband) telephone. 

Prisons are sold on the idea that you are safe from criminals. That punishment is morally justified by dehumanizing people; this dehumanizing includes placing people beyond rehabilitation. However, if they are only holding pens, then how safe are you? If rehabilitation is not attempted wholeheartedly, then how can it succeed?

Who benefits from the current penal system in this country? Politicians, unions representing correctional officers, private prison companies are the ones that come to mind first. 

Indiana should take the lead in adopting the reforms outlined above. To do otherwise undermines our Constitution:

Section 18. The penal code shall be founded on the principles of reformation, and not of vindictive justice.

sch 10/8/22