Nordic prison cells portray apartment-style comfort; netizens say 'better than our homes'
Nordic prison cells look like $3,000 apartments in San Francisco, a netizen wrote while sharing images of Sweden's humane correction facilities.
- Entertainment News
- 2 min read
;'%3e%3cpath%20d='m8,15.99c4.41,0,7.99-3.58,7.99-7.99S12.41,0,8,0,0,3.59,0,8s3.58,7.99,7.99,7.99Z'%20style='stroke:%23fff;%20stroke-miterlimit:10;%20stroke-width:.02px;'/%3e%3cpath%20d='m3.08,3.37l3.82,5.11-3.84,4.15h.87l3.37-3.64,2.72,3.64h2.94l-4.04-5.39,3.58-3.87h-.86l-3.1,3.35-2.5-3.35h-2.94Zm1.27.64h1.35l5.97,7.99h-1.35l-5.97-7.99Z'%20style='fill:%23fff;'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
In what can qualify as a midpoint for the prison abolitionists, the arrangement of Sweden’s detention centers stirred lengthy discussions about the rehabilitation of the law violators and making prison time central to torture and poor life quality. In some of the images shared out of a Twitter account @IDoTheThinking, the Nordic shared-facilities depicted a sense of cozy, apartment-style comfort instead of an overly crammed prison cell that the netizens are now calling “better than their homes.”
The jail surpasses the Scandinavian reputation for humane prisons due to hygiene, free space availability, and general maintenance to keep the inmates at ease while they serve time. Comparing the US correctional facilities, Ghana’s disturbingly packed cells with the nordic jails, netizens exchanged views about the standards of prison systems, as several others demanded priority enrolment into them as they looked 'great'.
“Nordic prison cells look like $3,000 apartments in San Francisco,” Darrell Owens, owner of the account wrote. He added, “By $3,000 dollar apartments, I just mean modern housing, not inhumane dungeons like American prisons.” Further, sharing some more images of the poor facilities in some of the states in the US and Sweden’s cells, the user wrote, “If your goal is to rehabilitate people and steer them away from criminal lifestyles, curious which environment would foster a better outcome.”
Advertisement
Nordic prison cells look like $3,000 apartments in San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/vULaJJuNfi
— 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓇𝑒𝓁𝓁 ❄𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓈 (@IDoTheThinking) December 12, 2020
1) The first 2 photos are cells. The latter 2 are common areas for ~12 prisoners
— 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓇𝑒𝓁𝓁 ❄𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓈 (@IDoTheThinking) December 12, 2020
2) By $3,000 dollar apartments, I just mean modern housing, not inhumane dungeons like American prisons. SF's rent isnt high because the apartments are good but because there's a housing shortage.
If your goal is to rehabilitate people and steer them away from criminal lifestyles, curious which environment would foster a better outcome.
— 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓇𝑒𝓁𝓁 ❄𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓈 (@IDoTheThinking) December 12, 2020
USA vs Sweden pic.twitter.com/T5Jy69E40u
Trick question: US prison system isnt supposed to rehabilitate!
— 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓇𝑒𝓁𝓁 ❄𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓈 (@IDoTheThinking) December 12, 2020
Cant keep the money pumping through the criminal justice system, the bloated police budgets and bloated incarceration spending if perpetual criminalization wheel stops churning.
In comparison, the United States judicial law explicitly prohibits judges from considering rehabilitation when sentencing. The American system only seems to benefit those who profit from free labor which explains the 76.6% recidivism rate. (h/t @AthulKAcharya) pic.twitter.com/VsqrhUFxtG
— 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓇𝑒𝓁𝓁 ❄𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓈 (@IDoTheThinking) December 13, 2020
Why do they look so nice, netizens ask
Soon, the internet swarmed the post with their opinion about the criminal justice system and what could help more in eradicating criminalisation. Darell noted that at least 20 percent of Norwegian prisoners re-offend versus 76.6 percent in the US. “A strong system of public healthcare, employment, education and yes, rehabilitation, helps,” he insisted. “How much better our society would be if we treated inmates like human beings,” a comment agreed. “Why do they look so nice? Won't people want to stay in jail?” One other said. “Honestly I’m impressed, we do not have that luxury,” another said. “Focus on rehabilitation, not punishment,” one other stressed.
Advertisement
These types of apartments have sprung up all over Los angles for about $3,000 a month.
— Shaw Gondorff (@GondorffShaw) December 13, 2020
It’s a debtors prison, continue to slave for 40k a year on a housing cell. pic.twitter.com/98YJnyB20N
If you were in the nordics, you’d get housing though - so you wouldn’t need to commit a crime to get a roof over your head :) Also, your sentencing for a low level crime would probably only be weeks or months so there’s really no point🤷🏻♀️😊
— Beate Sørum (@BeateSorum) December 13, 2020
on the other hand, these exist (and are used for arrestees), solitary confinement is still carried out, and the system still disproportionately impacts immigrant populations. still way better than us prisons! no question. but not a paradise and, in the end, not an end goal pic.twitter.com/c9SdLtzZty
— de staat (is coming to get you) (@liv_erle) December 13, 2020
"Why do they look so nice? Won't people want to stay in jail?"
— orange is the new sacked (@KingSwankk) December 13, 2020
Nordic countries don't rely on prison labor to drive their economy, so their prisons are focused on rehabilitation, not recidivism. They treat their prisoners like humans so they will act like humans on release.
Idk how people can think that this is going to solve something. It's just sad, problematic and inhuman pic.twitter.com/V5uIvUirxB
— cata rinA (@fragdey) December 13, 2020
This is a picture from "Central Prison" in Porto Alegre, one of the largests brazilian cities. Looks just impossible to resocialize somebody that lives like those guys pic.twitter.com/gziuGlHJoH
— Guilherme da Hora (@guilhermehora65) December 13, 2020
That’s because Norway focuses entirely on reform. The entire motive for their “corrections” system is fixing the problems with a person that led them to crime.
— 🌹 Felix Sturgeon 🌹 (@FelixSturgeon) December 13, 2020
They have one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world.
Meanwhile the US treats it’s prisoners like caged animals.
before i read the caption i was like “i would love if my apartment looked like this” 😐
— jeffrey (@gayforvenus) December 13, 2020
Clean lines and views of nature only get people so far - services that heal, educate and build agency are necessary alongside any type of prison design.
— Josie Spicer (@jsspcr1) December 13, 2020