ABSTRACT
A Swedish correctional institution for adult or youthful offenders of either gender differs materially from an average US prison or youth training school in several respects. The Swedish facility is generally smaller, more open, has more staff per inmate, and especially imposes a briefer deprivation of liberty. In line with Swedish custom, the adversaries saw a way around their differences and agreed upon a wording for the code that was acceptable in practice. All the inmates at thirteen Swedish correctional institutions were interviewed on two occasions with standardized questionnaires, each containing more than 100 inquiries. The new Swedish Criminal Code of 1965 was clearly influenced by the International Association of Criminalists and by the Social Defense Movement, but it also contained a number of national innovations. In a brief comparison with the US scene, fewer Swedish criminals are sentenced to prison, and those who are imprisoned serve shorter terms in smaller, more open, and heavily staffed institutions.
