The prison “Västervik Nora” is located in southern Sweden. More than 250 prisoners are serving sentences there. Among them - convicted of fraud, theft, even murder. However, there is one big problem - the prison is overcrowded. According to Niklas Bellström from the Swedish Prison and Police Service, this is a problem throughout the country, because there is not enough space for prisoners, and their number continues to grow dramatically. In an attempt to combat crime, Sweden recently tightened some of its laws. As a result, prisons are overcrowded and the pressure on them continues to grow.
Is the solution in Estonia?
The solution to the problem may lie in Estonia, just 600 kilometers away as the crow flies.
Like many other Estonian facilities, Tartu Prison has plenty of free space. The reason is that Estonia has largely solved its crime problem. This is what the country's Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Li Pakosta says. According to her, only a few decades ago Tallinn was struggling with high crime rates - and many prisons were built back then. "There were a huge number of murders and serious crimes. But we broke up the criminal groups and put their leaders in prison," the minister commented.
Today, Estonian prisons are world-class facilities. That's why Sweden is willing to pay 8,500 euros per prisoner per month. For 600 prisoners, this would mean an annual income of over 60 million euros for Tallinn. However, there is also a controversial point - in Estonia, the conditions for serving sentences are different from those in Sweden. For example, Swedish prisoners must fill their days with various activities - work, lessons, treatment and rehabilitation programs, while in Estonia such opportunities will not be available, explains Bellström. This serious difference worries critics of the proposal for "rented" prisons.
Critics in Sweden
"Västervik Nora" offers various work programs designed to support the rehabilitation of prisoners. Critics in Sweden warn against "exporting prisoners" abroad. Critics in Estonia, for their part, fear that the emergence of aggressive and well-organized criminals from Sweden could prompt authorities to impose stricter rules again.
Currently, Estonia's approach to imprisonment is more focused on sensitivity and empathy than on severity. For example, prisoners are allowed to watch television and listen to the radio. Konstantin Nikiforov, deputy director of Tartu Prison, says that much has changed since the Soviet era, when control was the priority. “It's different now. It's good to talk to them and understand them, to see their problems. "To know why they behave badly - maybe this person is not inherently bad, maybe something has happened in his life," Nikiforov commented.
Understanding, but also strictness
The Estonian authorities in Tartu are being trained to do both: to show understanding and, if necessary, to use force. The first convicts may arrive as early as July: adult men convicted of murder, sexual assault or economic crimes.
Members of terrorist networks or organized crime groups will remain behind bars in Sweden. To find space for them, the authorities are building new prisons. Transferring some of the prisoners to Estonia could at least temporarily solve Stockholm's problem.
Author: Yuri Resheto