This is from one of the Swedish papers today. It's about reducing reoffending in young people in Sweden and breaking the cycle of crime. It's by Nils Oberg who's in charge of The Swedish Prison and the Probation Service.
He's set out his objectives in a newspaper called Dagens Hyheter which is a centre/right paper, read by decision-makers within Sweden. The article was roughly translated for me and boils down to these main facts:
* He believes offenders need help from the first days of being in custody all the way through to release
* He says from now on prisoners won't move from prison to prison as much and will have more contact with prison staff. That contact will be constant and regular with the same professionals.
* He says new prisons will be created for young offenders
* He says time in jail will be time for change, but the regime will be enforced and there should be unconditional respect for rules and routines.
In the same paper, in the Culture section, there was a seperate and indepth article about how music can increase prisoners' self esteem. Fellow Churchill bursary winner, Sara Lee, who's researching music in prisons around the world and is due to travel to the States soon, is sure to have a view on this, but I'm certain she doesn't speak Swedish!
Nils Oberg is due to visit Radio Fri next Thursday, the radio programme that I've been spending time with here in Sweden. Radio Fri's boss, Samuel Sjoblom, will explain how Radio Fri is a chance for young offenders to tell their stories on-air, in accordance with editorial guidelines.
Back in December last year, Nils Oberg visited London and gave a speech to 700 people at Church House in Westminster. It was the front page of Inside Time, the monthly newspaper for prisoners. In his speech he said, "We run an organisation where respect for prisoners is fundamental to all that we do, and not subject to compromises. It is imprinted throughout the entire organisation and it is not negotiable. Positive and reinforcing interaction with prisoners is vital."