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American Apartheid: Why Scandinavian Prisons Are Superior
Loaded on Jan. 15, 2014
by Doran Larson
published in Prison Legal News
January, 2014, page 1
“Open” prisons, in which detainees are allowed to live like regular citizens, should be a model for the U.S.
Filed under:
Conditions of Confinement,
Totality of Conditions,
Prison Tourism/Consumerism,
Prisoners-International.
Locations:
Denmark,
Sweden.
by Doran Larson
It’s a postcard-perfect day on Suomenlinna Island, in Helsinki’s South Harbor. Warm for the first week of June, day trippers mix with Russian, Dutch and Chinese tourists sporting …
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More from this issue:
- American Apartheid: Why Scandinavian Prisons Are Superior, by Doran Larson
- Sweden’s Shrinking Prison Population, by Christopher Zoukis
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Mangaung and Beyond: Private Prison Exemplifies South Africa’s Criminal Justice Woes, by James Kilgore
- Hidden Agenda Fuels Challenge to Pivotal Death Penalty Case, by David Protess
- Seventh Circuit: Lifetime Supervision in Pornography Case Set Aside, by Derek Gilna
- Pennsylvania Woman Jailed for Failure to Pay Parking Tickets
- Controversy, Litigation and Performance Problems Plague Private Probation Services, by David Reutter
- Task Force Linked to Harsh Sentencing Laws and Private Prison Firms Disbands Following Public Scrutiny, Boycott
- East Mississippi Prison Nightmare, by Christopher Zoukis
- Massachusetts Supreme Court: 90 Days in Segregation on Awaiting Action Status without Hearing Violates Due Process
- Washington Defendant Improperly Denied Transcript at State Expense
- Programs Proliferate for Incarcerated Veterans
- Arizona TV Reporter Blames Prisoners for Citizens’ Lack of Healthcare
- Study: Risk of Murder, Overdose and Suicide Higher for Recently Released Jail Prisoners in New York City
- California Parole Board Agrees to Implement Policy to Fix Terms at Lifers’ Initial Hearings, by John Dannenberg
- How Actions by Oklahoma Governor’s Staff Led to Weakened State Justice Reforms, by Clifton Adcock
- Failure to Protect New Jersey Jail Detainee Leads to Drastic Bail Reduction
- Top Texas Judge Breaks the Law but Gets Special Treatment
- New York Prisoner Awarded Almost $16 Million Due to Poor Medical Treatment, by Christopher Zoukis
- Director of Victims’ Rights Group Sent to Prison for Embezzlement
- Study Finds Prisoners Inappropriately Using Topical Antibiotics, by David Reutter
- Connecticut Guards File Grievances over Efforts to Stem Super Bowl Absenteeism
- PLN Challenges Postcard-only Policy at Florida Jail
- Shareholder Resolutions Seek to Lower Phone Rates at Private Prisons
- Unwanted Reprieve from Execution Upheld by Oregon Supreme Court, by Christopher Zoukis
- Massachusetts Supreme Court: Failure to Register Guilty Plea Vacated
- No Immunity for Detainee’s Death Due to Alcohol Withdrawal; $1.23 Million Settlement on Remand
- Tenth Circuit: FRAP 4(b) Clock Commences Upon Entry in Public Docket
- FCC Rate Caps on Prison Phone Calls to Impact Nevada DOC’s Budget, by David Ganim
- SC Supreme Court Reverses Furtick; No Liberty Interest in Opportunity to Earn Sentence-Reduction Credits
- Religious Diet Qualified Immunity Test Outlined by Seventh Circuit
- Multiple Convictions, Single Proceeding Triggers Alaska Lifetime Sex Offender Registration
- Oregon: Life Sentence for Murder Unconstitutional During Eight-Month Period in 1999
- Seventh Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Prisoner's Law Library Access Claim, by Derek Gilna
- Ninth Circuit: Budgetary Constraints May Excuse Deliberate Indifference to Prisoner’s Serious Medical Needs; En Banc Review Granted
- Tenth Circuit Orders Foreseeability Jury Determination for Detention by New Mexico DOC Employees
- Ninth Circuit: No Summary Judgment on Claim of Excessive Use of Pepper Spray
- Oregon: Jury Trials Required When Prosecutors Treat Misdemeanors as Violations
- Res Judicata Doesn't Bar Ohio Post-release Control Challenge
- Hawaii: Incarceration is Good Cause for Failure to Appear; Bail Forfeiture Set Aside
- News in Brief
More from Doran Larson:
- In the Killing Chamber, Oct. 1, 2025
- What’s Justice Got to Do with It?, Sept. 1, 2020
- American Apartheid: Why Scandinavian Prisons Are Superior, Jan. 15, 2014
More from these topics:
- New Hampshire Officials Halt $700 Million Prison Replacement, May 1, 2026. Cost of Prison Systems, Totality of Conditions, Plumbing, Sanitation, Vermin.
- Pennsylvania Closes Its Second-Oldest Prison, May 1, 2026. Cost of Prison Systems, Totality of Conditions, Boot Camps, Plumbing, Reduction of Prison Population.
- Oklahoma DOC Paid Prison Guards $35.5 Million in Overtime in 2025, May 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Cost of Prison Systems, Totality of Conditions, Staffing, Staff Training.
- Trump Wants $152 Million to Turn Alcatraz Back Into a Prison, May 1, 2026. Cost of Prison Systems, Totality of Conditions, Federal Legislation, Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
- Connecticut Correction Ombuds Finds DOC in “Sustained Institutional Failure”, May 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Systemic Medical Neglect, Totality of Conditions, Lockdowns, Prisoner Legal Assistance.
- Texas Moves to Restrict Cashless Bond and Reverse Federal Court-Ordered Misdemeanor Bail Reform, May 1, 2026. Conditions of Confinement, Money/Property, Bail/Pretrial Release, Civil Rights Actions or Offenses/Bivens Actions, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
- The Cells Inside ‘One of the Most Archaic Prisons in the United States’, April 1, 2026. Totality of Conditions, Plumbing, Sewage, Shelter, Vermin.
- “Large Fight” Broke Out at Alaska Prison After Downsizing Effort, April 1, 2026. Transfers, Cost of Prison Systems, Totality of Conditions, Failure to Protect (General), Overcrowding.
- California Spends $300 Million Each Year Incarcerating Senior Citizens in Women’s Prisons, April 1, 2026. Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Totality of Conditions, Parole, Life without Parole (LWOP), Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Internal Assessment Contradicts Public Claims About Women’s Prisons, April 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Failure to Treat, Totality of Conditions, Toxic Fumes/Chemicals, Deliberate Indifference.

