Nordic penal policies and practices

Klara Hermansson

Chapter 18 in Research Handbook on Penal Policy, 2026, pp 348-363 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Chapter 18 offers an overview of penal policies and practices in the Nordic countries, structured around the debate on ‘Nordic exceptionalism’. It examines claims that Nordic prison regimes are more humane than those elsewhere and situates this within broader discussions about the role of welfare values and the distinctive logics of Nordic welfare states. Drawing on the Swedish penal policy debate, the chapter argues that the values often associated with Nordic penality ‒ such as safety and trust ‒ should be understood as symbolic resources mobilized in political discourse and penal policymaking.

Keywords: Nordic exceptionalism; Nordic penal policy; Prison conditions; Welfare values; Safety; Trust (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035308521
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