ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the Swedish correctional system leads us to summarise that institutional treatment not only fails to fulfill its official therapeutic function, but also militates against rehabilitation. Several Swedish proposals have been made to increase further the use of fines in lieu of imprisonment. A follow-up study of the correctional reform conducted by a student of mine does not give much support to the notion that the organizational changes were looked upon by the prisoners as lending a new significance to the deprivation of liberty. The ensuing reforms contributed to immediate reductions in the prison populations. The hypotheses that prisonization is found at all types of correctional institutions, irrespective of goal, structure, and clientele, have been supported. Arising parallel with our disillusionment with treatment, based on research findings, was the humanitarian-based criticism of the prison system as represented by prisoners’ movements, such as KRUM in Sweden.
