Finland has adopted a unique approach to its penal system with the introduction of “open prisons.” These institutions are fundamentally different from traditional prisons; they lack gates, locks, and uniforms, and inmates have the opportunity to apply for placement there. Within these facilities, prisoners can earn wages and are allowed to venture into town. Moreover, they have the option to pursue higher education, including university degrees, rather than engaging in work.
This progressive shift in Finland’s criminal justice policy stems from a realization that mere incarceration does not effectively address or reduce social issues or crime. Historically, Finland had a high incarceration rate, but a comprehensive reevaluation of its criminal justice system led to policy changes informed by extensive research.
The results of these reforms are evident today, as Finland boasts one of the world’s lowest incarceration rates. This achievement is underpinned by what might be termed Finland’s “secret sauce” – a combination of high gender equality, low corruption, and an independent judicial system, which is regarded globally as the most autonomous. This environment fosters high personal freedoms and positions Finland as a leader in social progressiveness and justice.
This man is serving a life sentence for murder. A dip in the frozen lake behind the prison is part of his regular workout routine. Welcome to life in one of Finland’s open prisons. There are no cell blocks here, just dormitories. Inmates come and go in their own cars. When Matti isn’t at the nearby university campus, he’s in his dorm room, studying for a career in tech.
In recent years, Finland has been named the happiest and safest country in the world. Citizens here enjoy generous public benefits, universal healthcare, subsidized daycare for children, and free college tuition. Promotional films like this, produced by Finland’s Criminal Sanctions Agency, document how prisoners are eased back into society with work opportunities and help from counselors. And the incarceration rate here is one of the lowest in Europe, a quarter of what it was in 1950. In Finland, only one in three former convicts ends up back in prison. Compare that to the United States, where two out of three get locked up again within two years of release.
A 2018 bill included sentencing reforms meant to reduce what is referred to as recidivism, but they only apply to inmates in federal custody, just 10% of the 2.3 million people incarcerated in the US. Critics say the 2018 reforms are only a small first step and fall far short of the kind of meaningful change Finland is so proud of. The scale, of course, is different. Today, there are fewer than 3,000 in the Finnish prison system. The number of people behind bars in the US is equal to half of Finland’s total population.
A reimagining of what prison looks like here started nearly 70 years ago, when this Scandinavian nation began building one of the most humane systems in the world. In some of the latest steps, Finland’s Criminal Sanctions Agency is investing heavily in technology training. And building a state-of-the-art smart prison for women, and even testing VR to provide an escape from the drab walls and fluorescent lighting of Turku, Finland’s highest-security closed prison. Mika, who is 10 years into a 15-year sentence, is walking through a 3D forest. He appreciates the chance to interact with VR technology and learn the basics of working with computers.
Now, Finland is investing in the infrastructure to support that readjustment, a 34 million euro prison that many hope will set the standard for the future. No bars, glass windows, and internet connection in every room, and small touches meant for comfort. When it opens this fall, the brand new facility in Hämeenlinna is expected to be Europe’s most high-tech women’s prison. But just across the road, a reminder of the past. The old facility built in 1972 once housed both men and women. It shut down in 2019 after years of disrepair, mold, and other reasons.
And just a few minutes drive away, a relic built in the 19th century and modeled on the American style of prison that is still widely in use today: cell blocks arranged in a radial floor plan, prisoners living in solitary confinement. This one is a museum now, preserved to show just how hard prison life here used to be.
For Matti, the road to reform has led him to a career that he would never have dreamed of before. He connected with Reaktor, a digital agency that designs online education courses. When they heard he was participating in this story, they invited him to give some feedback on the program. Seeing him in this meeting, it’s easy to forget that Matti is still serving out his sentence for murder. In that time, he hopes to complete a university degree and start a business. Based on Matti’s recommendations, Reaktor is planning to add an entrepreneurship course to the prison curriculum. After the meeting, Matti heads back to Laukaa Prison. But he is excited for the future.
1. Serving a life sentence – to be fulfilling a punishment of life imprisonment.
Example: He is serving a life sentence for his involvement in organised crime.
2. Come and go – to arrive and leave freely or casually.
Example: Guests at the hotel can come and go as they please, without any restrictions.
3. Locked up – to be imprisoned or detained.
Example: He got locked up for burglary last year and won’t be out for a while.
4. Eased back into society – to be reintroduced into normal social life gradually after imprisonment.
Example: The program aims to ease prisoners back into society by providing job training and counselling.
5. Fall far short (of) – to fail to reach the desired or expected outcome.
Example: The new law fell far short of addressing the real issues facing the healthcare system.
6. Walking through (a 3D forest) – a figurative expression meaning to experience or engage with a virtual environment.
Example: Using the VR headset felt like walking through a different world altogether.
7. Set the standard for – to establish a model or example that others will follow or try to reach.
Example: The new smartphone is expected to set the standard for future innovations in technology.
8. Shut down – to close or cease operations.
Example: The factory shut down last year due to a lack of funding.
9. Serving out (a sentence) – to complete the duration of a prison sentence.
Example: He’s almost finished serving out his sentence and will be released in a few months.
10. Heads back – to return to a place where someone was before.
Example: After the meeting, she headed back to her office to finish her report.
- What do you think of Finland’s open prisons?
- Could you ever imagine people would go for these types of prisons in your country?
- Where do you imagine has the toughest or most brutal prisons in the world?
- Which countries do you imagine have the highest incarceration and lowest incarceration rates in the world?
- If you were sent to prison, what would you find the toughest? Lack of freedom, privacy, family contact, or safety?
