Scandinavian Prison Aid: A Comparative Analysis

• In Event: Prison Working Group: Doing prison research: Reflections on funding, ethics, knowledge production, and othering

Abstract

Over three decades, the Scandinavian countries have extensively engaged in the financing and implementation of prison projects worldwide, encompassing a wide range of areas such as human rights protection, penal reform, and prison infrastructure. Funded as development aid and foreign policy, these projects target regions as diverse as the Horn of Africa, Western Balkans, and Eastern Europe. However, the dynamics, trajectories and extent to which Scandinavian prison aid is employed beyond the Scandinavian borders remain largely unexplored.

Drawing on a comprehensive dataset comprising all prison projects funded by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden between 1990 and 2022, this paper aims to shed light on the evolution, trends, and patterns of Scandinavian prison aid initiatives. Through a comparative lens, it examines differences and similarities among the three countries concerning project nature, recipient countries, participating actors, budget allocations, and development over time. By unravelling these dynamics, the paper offers insights into the concept of prison aid as well as the global dissemination of Scandinavian penal power.

Author

• Katrine Antonsen, Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, University of Oslo