The inmates at the SCI Chester prison facility have benefitted greatly from a Scandinavian prison model used in a pilot program there and it should be permanent, writes State Rep. Ben Waxman in City & State Pennsylvania.

The pilot project, known as “Little Scandinavia” at SCI, was a groundbreaking shift toward a more humane, rehabilitative prison system, he wrote.

“Pennsylvania has a unique opportunity to lead the nation by transforming its approach to incarceration,” he wrote.

The focus of the Scandinavian prison program is on rehabilitation rather than punishment.

Little Scandinavia at SCI Chester gave inmates enhanced educational and vocation training programs, more personal freedom in the facility and a strong emphasis on mental health and counseling.

“The preliminary feedback from both inmates and staff in the Little Scandinavia unit has been overwhelmingly positive,” Waxman wrote.  Participants felt more respected and valued, fostering a sense of responsibility and a desire to improve.

Corrections officers noted a decrease in confrontations and an improvement in overall safety.

“By investing in rehabilitation, we are reducing the likelihood that individuals will re-offend, thereby decreasing the future costs of incarceration and creating safer communities,” he wrote.

Read more of State Rep. Ben Waxman’s observations about Little Scandinavia in City & State Pennsylvania.