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Nesta is exploring how Scandinavian practices are being applied in the US to reduce prison re-offending. UK prisons have reached a capacity crisis. Overcrowding, resource constraints and poor conditions are harming efforts to rehabilitate prisoners. The government continues to implement early emergency measures to alleviate pressure – but it’s far from a sustainable solution. How should policymakers look to solve this crisis?

An in-depth look at the outcomes of the Little Scandinavia Prison Unit – a small subdivision of a prison outside of Philadelphia focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration. Its model is based on prisons in Scandinavia, a region with recidivism rates 25% lower than in the UK. Based on the ‘principle of normalisation’, it asserts that life inside the prison should resemble life outside, with the only punishment being incarceration itself. Reports so far have revealed that within the unit violence is practically non-existent, staff morale is higher compared to the rest of the prison and the use of restricted housing for rule violations is down by 50%.