Drug Rehab in the Nordic Prisons

Over the past fifteen years, the prison-based drug rehabilitation programs in the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have increased immensely. One of the many different types of rehabilitation that have been made is the rehabilitation prison. These rehabilitation prisons are in Sweden, while in Denmark, the prisoners are guaranteed rehabilitation. The developments in the drug rehabilitation in the Nordic countries has caused other countries around Europe to adopt similar rehab programs. Because of the advances the Nordic countries have made in the rehabilitation industry, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction recommend that countries offer rehabilitation programs to prisoners. Not only are the Nordic countries more advanced in their drug rehabilitation, but they are also more advanced with keeping their inmate population low.

While in prison, the prisoners are treated better than in the Western countries. The prisoners over there are treated as if they were home; therefore, the prisoners respect the guards a whole lot more. The prisons over there are also more integrated into the society and community, as compared to the Western countries. In the mid twentieth century, the prison system was focused on rehabilitation, but it was soon dropped because the rehabilitation system did not work. The Nordic countries, however, have picked the rehabilitation program back up and has succeeded at it. Even though the Nordic countries have succeeded at the rehabilitation program, they have attracted little attention to their success. Overall, the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have contributed immensely to the field of drug rehabilitation in the prison system. Since they have made the huge contribution to the field, other countries; such as, Great Britain and Germany have picked up the same rehab methods.

Vibeke, Frank Asmussen; Kolind, Torsten.(2012): Prison-based drug treatment and Rehabilitation in the Nordic countries, Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

29.6542. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10199-012-0045-4