Why is the U.S. reluctant to adopt the Scandinavian prison model?

A handful of states from California, Pennsylvania to Maine have tried to adopt a more rehabilitative Scandinavian prison model. But such models have failed to be replicated at large scale. Why?

Jordan Hyatt, professor of criminology and justice studies at Drexel University. He’s the co-principal investigator of the Scandinavian Prison Project, which in 2022 opened a unit known as “Little Scandinavia” at the State Correctional Institution (SCI) Chester outside Philadelphia.

Randall Liberty, Maine Commissioner of the Department of Corrections. He was appointed in 2019. Prior to that, he served as the Warden of the Maine State Prison and worked for 26 years at the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, nine as the elected sheriff.

Lauren-Brooke Eisen, senior director of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program. Co-author of the 2026 report: Prison Reform in the United States. For the report, the group visited over 20 prisons in 10 states, some multiple times.

Jay Lawrie, former corrections officer with 20 years’ experience.

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