Old-fashioned Nordic penal exceptionalism: the case of Iceland’s open prisons

Pakes, Francis

doi:10.1080/2578983x.2020.1809199

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Prisons in Iceland are small, even tiny, with two of the four prisons virtually open. Prison populations are mixed in terms of age, nationality and type of crime, but relationships between staff and inmates tend to be cordial and positive in Iceland (Pakes, 2020). Moreover, tolerating the long prison waiting list, implicitly suggests little or no discomfort, with many convicts simply going back home after receiving their prison sentence to serve their term several months later (or even a few years later), showing that crime and criminals are, in many cases, not greeted with a toxic mix of fury and fear (Pakes & Gunnlaugsson, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Criminal justice in a small Nordic country: The case of Iceland

Gunnlaugsson¹

2021

NTfK

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Crime concerns have deepened in Iceland in the new millennium. The number of criminal court decisions increased until 2013, when it temporarily levelled off before reaching a new peak in 2019. This development has put pressure on the prison system, as a long list of convicts awaiting completion of their sentences has accumulated. This paper uses official data, previous research and media accounts to examine the response of Icelandic authorities to this trend. One of the main questions addressed in the article is whether the criminal policy adopted by Icelandic authorities suggests a movement toward punitive or non-custodial measures. As it turns out, the Icelandic prison system has undergone major changes to meet this penal challenge. A new modern prison has recently been built close to Reykjavík to replace three smaller, older facilities that have beenclosed. This suggests a punitive turn. Yet at the same time, non-custodial sanctions have been increasingly introduced and implemented in lieu of sentences to closed security prisons. These non-custodial sanctions include electronic surveillance, additional community service work and an increased possibility to serve time in open prison units. It is contended here that a combination of practical budget concerns and rehabilitation sentiments lies behind this criminal policy development.AbstractKriminaliteten i Island har skabt voksende bekymringer i det nye årtusind. Antallet af strafferetlige afgørelser var stigende indtil 2013, hvor det fladede ud for en tid. Men i 2019 nåede antallet nye højder. Denne tendens har skabt et pres inden for fængselssystemet, der bl.a. viser sig i ophobning af domfældte, der må vente på at afsone deres dom. I denne artikel undersøges de islandske myndigheders reaktion på denne udvikling på baggrund af officielle data, tidligere forskning og mediernes dækning. Et af de mange spørgsmål, der bliver stillet i denne artikel, går ud på hvorvidt den islandske kriminalpolitik går i retning af mere eller mindre indespærring. Det islandske fængselssystem har gennemgået gennemgribende ændringer. Et moderne fængsel er for nylig blevet opført i umiddelbar nærhed af Reykjavik, hvilket ville antyde en straffende tendens, mens tre mindre og ældre fængselsinstitutioner er blevet lukket. Samtidigt har myndighederne i stigende grad anvendt ikke-frihedsberøvende straffe som alternativ til de lukkede fængsler. Blandt de nye metoder er elektronisk overvågning, mere samfundstjeneste og øgede muligheder for afsoning i åbne fængsler. Artiklen vil vise, at såvel budget- som resocialiseringshensyn står bag denne udvikling i straffepolitikken. Artiklens danske titel er: Straf i et lille nordisk land: Tilfældet Island.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, in 2012, a new open-prison facility, Sogn, was opened not far away from Litla-Hraun, with a capacity for up to 20 inmates. These two open-prisons, Kvíabryggja and Sogn, were recently examined by an international scholar (Pakes, 2020).…”

Section: Icelandic Prison Situationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criminal justice in a small Nordic country: The case of Iceland

Gunnlaugsson¹

2021

NTfK

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“…OV v českých podmínkách čerpala inspiraci v celosvětově známé otevřené věznici Bastøy v Norsku (Prokopová, 2021). Tato věznice se nachází na ostrově v Osloském fjordu, kde je umístěno celkem 70 vězňů v domech na severozápadní části ostrova (Pakes, 2020). Odsouzení v této věznici především pracují v zemědělství.…”

Section: Specifika Výkonu Trestu Odnětí Svobody V Otevřené Vězniciunclassified

The Use of Informal Learning in the Resocialization of Convicts in Open Prison Conditions

Kříž

2022

Lifelong Learn.

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In recent years, thanks to international conventions and the humanization of prisons, great importance has been attributed to the education of individuals serving prison sentences. However, not every prisoner can undertake formal and non-formal educational activities. That is due, for example, to a low sentence or lack of capacity. Therefore, the possibility for the application of informal learning and self-education opens up. This study examines the possibilities of anew innovative prison in Czech conditions, which, through a specific environment and a change in approaches, influences convicts and prepares them for life after release. The research investigation was carried out in a qualitative form, using semi-structured interviews focused on: a) the perception of informal learning in prison sentences, b) the perception of the influence of the environment of an open prison on learning, c) the perception of the influence of informal learning on their preparation for release. In total, sixteen men serving prison sentences participated in the research investigation, and grounded theory was used to analyse the data obtained. From the research results, we can conclude that respondents perceive great differences in possibilities and approaches to learning in the conditions of an open prison. Specifically, a better social climate allowed them to focus more on self-development in different areas. The results of the study confirm that regular prison facilities are incentive-poor, and convicts encounter several problems that fundamentally influence their learning. This study highlights the importance of these innovative prisons in the context of resocialization and reintegration efficiency.

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“…In this regard, as well as capturing a particular quality or “texture” of any prison, “depth” is also a means of classifying different kinds of institutional sites, according to their level of security, control, and restriction. Thus, open and high‐security prisons sit at different ends of a spectrum of depth, with the former referred to as “shallow” (Pakes, in press) and the latter as “deep custody” (e.g., Shalev & Edgar, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing deep‐end confinement in England & Wales and Norway

2022

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Extreme forms of custody represent the boundary points of state power. The configuration of the most restrictive corners of prison systems, and what goes on within them, is highly instructive in exposing the objectives, limits, and implications of state coercion at its most severe. Based on data collected in England & Wales and Norway, this article has two main aims. The first is to explore the degree to which "deep-end" confinement differs between jurisdictions with different penal philosophies. The second is to understand how the most extreme form of confinement in each jurisdiction differs from the more typical carceral experiences within each system and its overall penal ethos. Empirically, then, the article seeks to shine light into the deepest dominions of both prison systems, illuminating the experiential texture of extreme forms of imprisonment. It concludes by asking what can be inferred about Nordic exceptionalism, and about deep-end confinement more generally, by analyzing these domains.

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Old-fashioned Nordic penal exceptionalism: the case of Iceland’s open prisons

Cited by 12 publications

References 27 publications

Criminal justice in a small Nordic country: The case of Iceland

Criminal justice in a small Nordic country: The case of Iceland

The Use of Informal Learning in the Resocialization of Convicts in Open Prison Conditions

Comparing deep‐end confinement in England & Wales and Norway

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