" Lönnqvist said Sweden was abandoning its belief in rehabilitation and becoming more focused on punishment and “locking people up”. The government and the Social Democrats were pandering to the far-right, she said.
“It’s quite terrifying that everything is happening without much debate around it,” she said. “We’re looking at basically mass incarceration like we have seen in the US and we know that it doesn’t work. We know it’s the opposite: it’s going to make things worse.”"
As an American it gives me chills that this lunacy is on the rise in a major way worldwide… Goddamn.
As a Swede it gives me chills as well. 😐🫣
The are talking about 600 prisoners in another EU country. This is still very very far away from US style mass incarceration. I mean in US we’re talking about Alligator Auschwitz now with people kept in tents without basic hygiene and with maggot infested food.
Considering the entire prison population was about 7,500 last year and they only have about 5,000 beds across all facilities… That’s a pretty large percentage.
And to add to that, from this specific article:
According to a recent Kriminalvården report, Sweden’s prison population could – in the most extreme scenario – grow from 7,800 this year to 41,000 in 2034 as a result of more punitive policies driven by the far right.
They’re looking at a 500% increase in the prison population within a decade because of the new policies. If that’s not a shift towards mass incarceration I’d like to know what your definition would be.
I guess you’re right. It is first step in the US direction. Obviously they will not be able to maintain same conditions in prisons with 500% increase so if they maintain this course over the next decade it will probably end up looking like US.
It’s really tragic and should serve as a lesson to everyone. This crisis is the result of many failed policies and problems ignored over couple of decades. The socialist parties are as much to blame for this as the right wingers and at this point I don’t think anyone has any idea how to solve it.
