Media Coverage
The work of the team at SCI Chester has attracted the attention of journalists and writers from both the United States and abroad. If you are interested in learning more about the project and how it relates to ongoing debates about prison reform and criminal justice policy, to see photos of the unit or read quotes from the staff and incarcerated people who work and do time there, these articles and books can be valuable resources.
Some examples include:
Høidal & Hanssen (2023): Little Scandinavia and other international collaboration, in The Norwegian Prison System: Halden Prison and Beyond.
Keller (2022): What's Prison For? Punishment and Rehabilitation in the Age of Mass Incarceration.
National Institute of Justice (NIJ)(April 11, 2024) Transforming Correctional Culture and Climate
State and City PA (April 15, 2024) Pennsylvania should make ‘Little Scandinavia’ at SCI Chester permanent
Dagsavisen (April 11, 2024) USA adopterer norske fengselsmetoder, men: – Trist at det nå kuttes i sektorer som jobber med mennesker (“The USA adopts Norwegian prison methods, but: - Sad that there are now cuts in sectors that work with people”)
Svenska Dagbladet (February 17, 2024) Mördare: Sverige bör inte överge det som fungerar (“Murderer: Sweden should not abandon what works”)
TV2 (December 25, 2023): Fengsel inspirert av Norge (“Prison Inspired by Norway”).
The Christian Science Monitor (December 6, 2023): Can US prisons take a page from Norway? Five questions.
The Guardian (August 8, 2023): As San Quentin prison vows to transform, its residents ask: is change possible?
The Philadelphia Citizen (July 18, 2023): A Local Experiment in Scandinavian Justice.
GAINS Center, SAMSHA (April 18, 2023): Little Scandianvia Prison Unit: A Humane Appraoch to Detention
New York Times (March 25, 2023): Prisoners Today, Neighbors Tomorrow.
Los Angeles Times (March 23, 2023): California to transform infamous San Quentin prison with Scandinavian ideas, rehab focus.
The Huffington Post (August 22, 2019): How Norway Is Teaching America To Make Its Prisons More Humane.
Documentary
The Swedish public broadcaster (SVT) followed the team from SCI Chester since their work began in early 2019 until the unit had been open for about 10 months in early 2023. Their work is captured in a captivating, three-part documentary series which aired in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland) in 2023.
A trailer for the documentary is available here.
Photographs
The Little Scandinavia Unit at SCI Chester looks very different from what you expect from a “typical” housing unit in an American prison. Some of the main physical changes that have been made to the unit include:
Single cells for all residents
A full commercial kitchen
A laundry room
Planter boxes
Colorful furniture made of wood and fabric rather than steel and plastic
To get a sense of what the unit looks like, please see these press photos taken on the opening day in May 2022.
Other Exciting Prison Reform Projects
We are not alone in this space, and if you are interested in prison reform more broadly these are some of the exciting projects that are going on in other states or countries:
Unlocked Graduates (UK)
Are there any other projects we should be aware of? If so, please reach out and let us know!