ABSTRACT
The parallel associations in the other Scandinavian countries were established with KRUM's first years as a background; that is, with an emphasis on a treatment-oriented criticism, humanitarian aid, and neutrality in terms of general political issues as major guide lines. A main objective of the Scandinavian organizations has been to establish political contact with the prisoners, so as to include them in political work for the improvement of their situation. This collaboration between people with a political interest and the prisoners, political contact across the prison walls between radical outsiders and the inmates apparently presents a threatening aspect to the prison authorities. In varying degrees the authorities in the Scandinavian countries have tried to prevent such contact. The Norwegian authorities have been particularly active in this respect. A main objective of the present account will be that of analysing why such contact is regarded as threatening to the establishment.
