From New England to Norway

Critics of the US criminal legal system frequently point to the Scandinavian model as an exemplar of effective and humane rehabilitation. But beyond the pictures of dormlike accommodations and descriptions of enlightened programming, does the Nordic approach really work—and could its lessons apply here? 

Erika Gebo, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice, is a recognized expert in issues of urban violence and how crime and incarceration impact both individuals and communities. She is currently working with the Boston Public Health Commission on community-based violence intervention programs that work directly with returning citizens—individuals who were formerly incarcerated—and their families in communities with higher rates of violence as part of a Department of Justice grant. This summer, travel funds from a Whiting Fellowship allowed Gebo to briefly step away from this engrossing work for a perspective-changing visit to Sweden and Norway.

She discussed emerging research at the Stockholm Criminology Symposium, met with colleagues at the University of Oslo, and got an insider’s view of Norway’s prison system. There, she noted a greater emphasis on human rights, creating positive community connections, and incorporating the healing influence of nature into incarceration.

“In our reentry programs we are obviously very focused on survival needs: housing, employment, healthcare,” says Gebo. “In Norway they also work on building interpersonal relationships that will support people as they reintegrate into society, and teach them how to fill their free time with positive, meaningful activities. Incarcerated people have meals with their families, and they even go fishing, hiking, and horseback riding.”