Sweden Is Closing Many Prisons Due to Lack of Prisoners

rtoz writes "Sweden is taking steps to close many prisons due to lack of prisoners. This year alone, four prisons and a detention center got closed in Sweden. The percentage of the population in Sweden prison is significantly lower than in most other countries. ... Though the Swedish Government is taking steps to close the prisons, the crime rate in Sweden has increased slightly. It seems they are planning to take steps for preventing crime rather than focusing on jailing people involved in criminal activities."

Comments

Re:Repulsive! Government Waste!

[clarkkent09]

The US has a higher incarceration rate due to harsher sentences, not necessarily due to higher crime rate. Overall crime rate in UK and Germany (far better comparison to the US than Sweden) are higher than in the US. US has lower burglary and robbery rates than Australia or Canada. Take 20 worst gangland ghettos out of the equation and US compares favorably to most major developed countries in any crime statistic. Whatever the reasons for the harsh sentences (in particular for drug use), which is the true reason for the US record incarceration rate, they are not obviously related to welfare state which was the actual point of my post.