Latest news with #massincarceration
The Guardian
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Sweden set to rent cells in Estonian jails as it runs out of room for its prisoners
Sweden is moving away from criminal rehabilitation in favour of US-style mass incarceration, experts have said, as the country prepares to rent places in Estonian jails to help house its rapidly expanding prison population. The move to outsource prison places is one of a slew of policies aimed at transforming the Swedish criminal justice system as the centre-right government struggles to tackle gang violence and prisons warn of overcrowding. Last week the justice department said it had instructed Kriminalvården (the Swedish prison and probation service) to 'make the necessary preparations' for the Estonian scheme. Under an agreement signed by Stockholm and Tallinn in June, up to 600 prison places in the Baltic country are expected to be made available. 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. Observers say it represents a marked shift for a country which for decades prided itself on prison policies focused on rehabilitation and reintegration. Sweden is not set up to cope with a rise in the numbers being sentenced to jail time as the government grapples with an unprecedented wave of violence brought about by gang crime. The prison service chief of staff, Joakim Righammar, has said Sweden's prisons are in a 'crisis situation' of overcrowding. The number of children facing lengthy periods in prison is particularly striking: in recent years, a change in approach has led to children as young as 15 being jailed for 10 years or more. The government, which depends on the support of the far-right Sweden Democrats, is now considering a proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 14 for severe offences. The main opposition party, the centre-left Social Democrats, have said they would support such a move. The Sweden Democrats have called for the age to be lowered to 13. For the first time, next year, the government also plans to introduce youth prisons in place of the current secure youth care homes, where young offenders are usually placed and the maximum sentence is four years. The justice minister, Gunnar Strömmer, said the deal with Estonia marked 'an important step to relieve the Swedish prison and probation service' from a 'pressured situation'. He added: 'For it to work in practice, careful preparations are required. It is crucial that everything from security and legal certainty to cooperation with Estonian authorities are ready to function properly when the agreement comes into force.' But others have said the numbers are a drop in the ocean compared with what is needed. 'If we're looking at having 40,000 prisoners, then 600 cells is not going to do much,' said Emelí Lönnqvist, who researches crime policy and prisons across the Nordics at Stockholm University. 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.' She added: 'The notion of stability and a humane rational approach to crime policy, that's just gone in Sweden at this point.' Olle Jonasson, a Stockholm pastor who spends time talking to children as young as 15 who are in custody – suspected of serious crimes including murder – said politicians were too focused on punishing vulnerable people instead of rehabilitation. Most of the children he sees, he said, have 'no criminal identity' but are used like 'single-use objects' by gangs, while many of those ordering the violence evade punishment abroad. 'I am not saying they should go without consequences; of course, they have done these serious crimes, so they must have treatment,' he said. 'But we need to lose this 'punishment thinking' instead of helping them find a new chance.' Society, he added, 'is trampling on the weakest link'. The proposal to send prisoners to Estonia – 250 miles away, across the Baltic Sea – still needs to be approved by the parliaments of both countries, but the Swedish justice department expects the agreement to be in place by the summer of 2026. The justice department denies it is moving towards mass incarceration and away from rehabilitation, citing work it has done on prevention. This article was amended on 12 July 2025. Owing to an error introduced during editing, an earlier version referred to the Black Sea when Baltic Sea was meant. It also put the distance between Sweden and Estonia at 300 miles; Stockholm and Tallinn are about 250 miles apart, although the nearest points between the countries' mainlands are only about 130 miles apart.
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Sweden set to rent cells in Estonian jails as it runs out of room for its prisoners
Sweden is moving away from criminal rehabilitation in favour of US-style mass incarceration, experts have said, as the country prepares to rent places in Estonian jails to help house its rapidly expanding prison population. The move to outsource prison places is one of a slew of policies aimed at transforming the Swedish criminal justice system as the centre-right government struggles to tackle gang violence and prisons warn of overcrowding. Last week the justice department said it had instructed Kriminalvården (the Swedish prison and probation service) to 'make the necessary preparations' for the Estonian scheme. Under an agreement signed by Stockholm and Tallinn in June, up to 600 prison places in the Baltic country are expected to be made available. 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. Observers say it represents a marked shift for a country which for decades prided itself on prison policies focused on rehabilitation and reintegration. Sweden is not set up to cope with a rise in the numbers being sentenced to jail time as the government grapples with an unprecedented wave of violence brought about by gang crime. The prison service chief of staff, Joakim Righammar, has said Sweden's prisons are in a 'crisis situation' of overcrowding. The number of children facing lengthy periods in prison is particularly striking: in recent years, a change in approach has led to children as young as 15 being jailed for 10 years or more. The government, which depends on the support of the far-right Sweden Democrats, is now considering a proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 14 for severe offences. The main opposition party, the centre-left Social Democrats, have said they would support such a move. The Sweden Democrats have called for the age to be lowered to 13. For the first time, next year, the government also plans to introduce youth prisons in place of the current secure youth care homes, where young offenders are usually placed and the maximum sentence is four years. The justice minister, Gunnar Strömmer, said the deal with Estonia marked 'an important step to relieve the Swedish prison and probation service' from a 'pressured situation'. He added: 'For it to work in practice, careful preparations are required. It is crucial that everything from security and legal certainty to cooperation with Estonian authorities are ready to function properly when the agreement comes into force.' But others have said the numbers are a drop in the ocean compared with what is needed. 'If we're looking at having 40,000 prisoners, then 600 cells is not going to do much,' said Emelí Lönnqvist, who researches crime policy and prisons across the Nordics at Stockholm University. 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.' She added: 'The notion of stability and a humane rational approach to crime policy, that's just gone in Sweden at this point.' Olle Jonasson, a Stockholm pastor who spends time talking to children as young as 15 who are in custody – suspected of serious crimes including murder – said politicians were too focused on punishing vulnerable people instead of rehabilitation. Most of the children he sees, he said, have 'no criminal identity' but are used like 'single-use objects' by gangs, while many of those ordering the violence evade punishment abroad. 'I am not saying they should go without consequences; of course, they have done these serious crimes, so they must have treatment,' he said. 'But we need to lose this 'punishment thinking' instead of helping them find a new chance.' Society, he added, 'is trampling on the weakest link'. The proposal to send prisoners to Estonia – 300 miles away, across the Black Sea – still needs to be approved by the parliaments of both countries, but the Swedish justice department expects the agreement to be in place by the summer of 2026. The justice department denies it is moving towards mass incarceration and away from rehabilitation, citing work it has done on prevention.
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Governors, Use Your Clemency Powers
President Trump is making shameless use of his constitutional clemency power, rewarding insurrectionists, cronies, campaign contributors and sundry others. But this is not the only problem. Mr. Trump's acts of commission are paralleled by American governors' acts of omission. Even though they control the bulk of the country's prison population and typically have the power to grant clemency, many governors have consistently failed to exercise the power of forgiveness, to all of our detriment. Clemency, specifically the power to commute a person's sentence, is a readily available mechanism to rectify the hyper-punitive sentences regularly meted out in state courts during the past several decades that contributed to the crisis of mass incarceration. The power in many state constitutions to grant clemency is one way to address the vast racial disparities that exist in state prisons — disparities that increase among people serving the longest sentences, which have their roots in the racist trope of the so-called super predator. Close to 90 percent of the two million people behind bars in the nation are held in state facilities, making the collective inaction by governors around clemency inexcusable. In New York, where there are almost 33,000 people in state prisons, a backlog of almost 1,100 pending clemency applications sits awaiting action. A state government website focused on clemency states that applicants must 'demonstrate that they have made exceptional strides in self-development and improvement.' Surely there are many people among the 1,100 who meet, and even surpass, that threshold — people who have acknowledged responsibility for the harm they caused, have done all they can to atone and have amassed vast evidence of transformation. In the past year, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, granted a sentence commutation to just one person. Across the Hudson in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, created a clemency advisory board last year — and later granted several commutations — after failing to grant even a single clemency application in his first seven years in office. Clemency, the power to grant a pardon and essentially erase a person's conviction, or to grant a commutation and reduce his or her sentence, has deep roots in the American legal system. The term 'clemency' shares its origins with the name Clementia, the Roman goddess of mercy, forgiveness and leniency. The king of Wessex (in what is now southern England) had similar powers to those now held by the American president and state governors as far back as the seventh century, when those powers were referred to as the 'prerogative of mercy.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland governor wants accountability in juvenile crime fight after DJS secretary's resignation
The embattled Maryland Secretary of Juvenile Services, Vincent Schiraldi, told WJZ he is leaving on his terms, despite Governor Wes Moore insisting he asked for the resignation. The move follows intense criticism of Schiraldi during his two years in office, with critics claiming his policies are too lenient on young and violent offenders. Schiraldi defends work Secretary Schiraldi defended his work in an interview with WJZ shortly after Monday night's surprise announcement from the governor's office that he would be leaving DJS. "Lots of stuff has gone in the right direction, and I thought it's probably a good time for this particular lightning rod to move on and let somebody else take it to the next level," Schiraldi said. Schiraldi said the barrage of criticism that he is too easy on juvenile offenders and failed to hold them accountable during his years on the job factored into his decision. "I've been under criticism since I started," Schiraldi said. "I think it sort of bears noting mass incarceration has been around almost five decades now, and there have been people who have gone up against it, who have pushed back and fought against what I think is very destructive and racially divisive and ineffective policy." Schiraldi added, "This is right out of the mass incarceration playbook: Lots of politicians thumping their chests and vilifying kids and saying we should lock more of them up, and that's what happened. None of that was a surprise." Moore addresses Schiraldi's departure Gov. Moore had a different take on how the departure unfolded. "I called for his resignation, and I'm happy about the direction that I think we are going to go in," the governor told WYPR's Midday with Tom Hall. Moore also spoke about his view of juvenile justice. "I think accountability means being able to use all assets at your disposal," Moore said. "So, if you're saying that accountability simply means a lecture, I think you're wrong. And I think if you're saying accountability means locking everyone up for everything, I also think you are wrong." Moore said, "True public safety means that you have to have the right combination of accountability for those who break the law, and you need to make sure that you focus on rehabilitation." DJS leadership replacement The governor tapped Betsy Fox Tolentino to take over DJS. She currently works for Roca, an organization WJZ has profiled that helps reach the most at-risk youth in Maryland. Tolentino previously worked in Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services Schiraldi said he recommended her for the position, but the governor insisted Tuesday, "She is my choice. I'm thankful that we have someone who is so talented who is coming on to be able to take on that role." Moore said he was "looking forward to the Senate nominations committee giving her a speedy confirmation." The critics Critics, including many Republicans in the General Assembly, told WJZ Investigates they want a change in direction at DJS, citing repeat, violent offenders going unpunished. "Someone who is 16- and 17-years-old, if they commit a violent crime, they should absolutely be held accountable. I certainly hope the acting secretary does not continue down that pathway [of Schiraldi]," Baltimore County Republican Delegate Ryan Nawrocki told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. Nawrocki said the resignation came as a surprise. "The governor definitely dug in on his confidence in Secretary Schiraldi, so I was definitely surprised by his resignation, but I certainly think it was long overdue," he said. "As you know, I have been calling for his resignation now for well over a year. The system is fundamentally broken at DJS, and I believe the only way to have a good pathway forward is to have new leadership at the top of that organization." The new secretary will still have to be confirmed by the state senate and faces tough questions from Republicans, including Senator William Folden, who was outspoken about Schiraldi's tenure. "He's been a colossal failure," Senator Folden told Hellgren. "He should never have been in that position, and for the governor to put him in that position and leave him in there for as long as he did, at least there's change coming." Folden added, "I applaud the governor for doing this. It's taken a long enough time, but at least the action has been taken now." High-profile incidents Last year, Schiraldi said he had no plans to step down after facing criticism over an incident in Howard County. Howard County Superintendent Bill Barnes said at the time he had no idea a 17-year-old student at Howard High faced attempted murder charges for a violent attack that left a victim paralyzed when he was placed in the school on an ankle monitor under the supervision of the state Department of Juvenile Services. The teen suspect was arrested and charged with the murder of a man last October in the parking lot of an office building in Columbia. Police said they took him into custody in school with a ghost gun that was loaded, had an extended magazine, and was modified to be an automatic weapon. Other incidents involving repeat, juvenile offenders have also been fodder for those who wanted Secretary Schiraldi gone. Other incidents involving repeat, juvenile offenders have also been fodder for those who wanted Secretary Schiraldi gone. The secretary defended his record. "We need to start having a fact and data-based conversation and not just vilify young people with hyperbole. It doesn't serve the goals of public safety. It feeds fear, and it's contrary to the best practices in research," Schiraldi said. He told WJZ his last day on the job is June 20.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
From Prison To Paradise—How One Bold Investor Converted A Notorious Federal Prison To A Luxury Apartment Development
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. At first glance, the Liberty Crossing Apartment community in Fairfax County, Virginia, looks like any other luxury apartment development. However, if you look closely, you will find remnants of its past and realize this is no ordinary apartment complex. That's because Liberty Crossing was originally a notorious federal penitentiary known as the Lorton Reformatory. The Lorton Reformatory was built in 1910 on 2,324 acres and served as a federal prison until it was closed in 2001. Most of the inmates at Lorton hailed from nearby Washington, D.C., because it has no penitentiaries to house offenders. People convicted of crimes in the district were sent straight to the federal penitentiary. Don't Miss: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – For much of its early life, Lorton was infamous for being where the government held women's suffragists, who were subject to abuse by prison staff on what became known as the 'Night of Terror" in 1914. As the years passed and the era of mass incarceration began, Lorton became infamous for another reason. Even by federal standards, Lorton was a notoriously brutal prison where violence and depravity occurred every day until its closure in 2001. Fairfax County paid $4.2 million to buy the land from the federal government and convert it to civilian use. The county added a golf course, three schools, and an art center, but the question of what to do with the buildings that used to house prisoners remained. Wisconsin-based real estate developer Alexander Co. offered a solution in 2008. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — The Alexander Co. had a history of successful adaptive re-use modifications. It proposed to convert the rest of the campus at Lorton into 164 apartment units. Adaptive reuse conversions can be difficult, but ironically, Lorton had several features that made it a good candidate for a successful conversion to apartment buildings. "The Lorton Reformatory was a good set of buildings to be converted into residential because it was a reform-era prison. So, unlike most prisons that tend to be large footprint dark buildings without very many windows, these actually had an abundance of light and had quite a bit of character to them, so they laid out very nicely for apartments,"Alexander Co. Development Manager David Vos told CNBC. That's not to say it was inexpensive. According to CNBC, the Alexander Co. spent $64 million to complete the conversion. When it was over, Liberty Crossing consisted of 84 one-bedroom and 81 two-bedroom apartments, all of which included an in-unit washer-dryer. Rent at Liberty Crossing ranges from $1,372 to $2,700. That's not cheap, but 44 of the apartments at Liberty Crossing are set aside as low-cost, affordable housing units.A combination of tax credits, bond financing, and low-income housing tax credits funded the conversion. Liberty Crossing opened in 2017 and achieved full occupancy in a few short months. Vos and the Alexander Co. also took care to pay respect to Lorton's history. They intentionally left some of the old prison-era signs detailing Lorton's rules in place over the converted residential buildings. "There's a number of reminders as you walk around the campus that remind you of the fact that this used to be a reformatory or prison," Vos said. Even the name Liberty Crest was chosen with a purpose in mind. Vos told CNBC, "The reason we chose Liberty for the name was we really felt that we were liberating these buildings from its more recent dark past." Liberty Crossing is a perfect example of a positive partnership between real estate developers, the local community, and the government. They all came together to create a project that serves public needs and delivers profit for investors. The reality is that many more innovative projects like this are needed if America is going to solve its housing availability crisis. Read Next: , which provides access to a pool of short-term loans backed by residential real estate with just a $100 minimum. 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Image: Shutterstock Send To MSN: 0 This article From Prison To Paradise—How One Bold Investor Converted A Notorious Federal Prison To A Luxury Apartment Development originally appeared on Sign in to access your portfolio
