The United States, and historically Pennsylvania, incarcerates people at exceptionally high rates under prison conditions that are often harmful and dehumanizing, undermining health, rehabilitation, and community well-being. By contrast, Scandinavian countries are widely viewed as a humane and effective alternative, with lower incarceration and recidivism rates supported by rehabilitative prison models. The Scandinavian Prison Project (SPP), in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, proposes a first-of-its-kind pilot adapting Scandinavian correctional principles for use in a large U.S. urban jail. Core SPP principles include access to nature, dignified communal spaces, and opportunities to cook fresh food, among others. The experiment will test whether a humanity-centered, staff-empowering model can improve safety, prison climate, and staff well-being. If successful, the pilot will demonstrate that these humanity-focused reforms can be safely and effectively implemented in U.S. jail settings, including with pretrial youth populations historically excluded from reform efforts.
