While on a visit to SCI Chester in 2023, State Rep. Ben Waxman met an inmate who was serving his time on unit CA, also known as Little Scandinavia, the site of a long-term study researching how the Scandinavian approach to incarceration — emphasizing rehabilitation over punishment — impacts inmates and correctional officers.

“I hadn’t heard of the unit until that time and was intrigued because it really sounded like something that was unique in the Pennsylvania prison system,” he says of the encounter. Waxman followed up with a return visit specifically to speak with inmates and correctional officers on the unit. “It was very eye-opening, and I wanted to make sure that as many policymakers as possible were aware of the experiment.”

Waxman became a strong proponent of the project, organizing a screening of the Swedish Public Television (SVT) miniseries about the experiment, Fängelseexperimentet Little Scandinavia, in the spring of 2024; a press conference; and a private briefing for lawmakers from a former inmate who served on the unit.

At an appropriations committee meeting in the PA House on March 3, the Department of Corrections (DOC) announced that the experimental unit model is being expanded into other facilities across the state. The Scandinavian model has already produced positive results inside SCI Chester’s unit CA — and has the potential to reduce recidivism and improve community outcomes.

“I am so thrilled that Governor Shapiro has made this a priority and is expanding the unit to new facilities,” Waxman says.

Little Scandinavia is a joint multi-year effort among the DOC, Kriminalvården (the Swedish Prison and Probation Service) and Kriminalomsorgen (the Norwegian Correctional Service). Jordan M. Hyatt, associate professor of criminology and justice studies and director of the Center for Public Policy at Drexel University, and Synøve Nygaard Andersen, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Oslo, direct the study. SVT producers John Stark and Tomas Lindh, considered by Hyatt and Andersen as vital partners in the study, were nominated for a Swedish television award for their 2023 documentary.

“I am so thrilled that Governor Shapiro has made this a priority and is expanding the unit to new facilities.” — Rep. Ben Waxman

First conceived in 2017, the study began with prison staff, DOC officials, and the film crew traveling together to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark in 2019 for facility tours and training. Upon their return, SCI Chester’s CA unit was chosen as the “lab” for the study and converted to meet the population and supervision requirements. Cells are single occupancy; each has a mini fridge. Inmates share a communal kitchen and landscaped green space. Functional furniture, a warm paint palette, and an aquarium for the inmates to care for were added. Inmates and staff are encouraged to interact, even workout, together. When Covid interrupted the filming for the documentary, filmmakers supplied the unit with a diary cam so inmates and correctional officers could record their experiences.

Little Scandinavia houses a maximum of 64 inmates, unlike the regular housing units at Chester that hold up to 128 men in shared cells. Inmates and COs interact more closely than the rest of the prison population, with a 1:8 ratio as opposed to the 1:128 for the rest of the facility. Because this is a functioning scientific study, any SCI inmate (except someone with a staff assault or other security issues) is eligible for the lottery to reside here. The current residents include men serving life, long-term inmates, and men readying for release. The inmates on the unit receive specialized programming to develop career, life and coping skills that help prepare them for reentry. One of the goals of the project is to assess not just the impact of this prison environment on in-prison conduct and climate but also on post-release outcomes like employment and recidivism.

The research is grant-funded, primarily by Arnold Ventures, with the DOC investing in the physical reconfiguration of units. At SCI, that cost was $300,000. Because inmates don’t share a cell, the per-inmate per-day cost is 1.5 times more than double-celling.

The experiment is ongoing, and the final research results will not be released for some time. However, preliminary findings indicate several positive outcomes. Compared to traditional units, Little Scandinavia has significantly fewer incidents of violence and misconduct. Corrections officers on the unit report higher job satisfaction and better health, which they attribute to the environment and relationships with inmates. The inmates also report feeling safer and well-supported.

DOC commitment

Dr. Laurel R Harry, Secretary of the DOC, testified before Rep. Waxman and the PA House on the Department’s plans to expand the model: “It’s looking very promising to the point where we’re looking to expand it to three other facilities, hopefully this year.”

Harry joined Hyatt and SCI Chester staff on their trip to Swedish correctional facilities in April 2023. “It was a great opportunity for me to connect with the staff working on the unit at Chester and to hear about their experiences, challenges, and vision for Little Scandinavia,” she says. “It was interesting to see similar corrections challenges in each of our systems, yet also share insights into how we can learn from each other. The Swedish staff were extremely hospitable and they made the experience very informative and productive. We have a great partnership with them and we hope to continue it.”

There is more work to do before the experiment is expanded to other PA prisons: One of the reasons SCI Chester was chosen is its medium-security status. The DOC classifies inmates into custody levels. Little Scandivania houses mostly Level 2 and 3 inmates, who pose a low to moderate security risk. Translating the study to a maximum security facility with level 4 inmates — those who pose the highest security risk — would capture vital data necessary to effectively transform prison outcomes. The DOC needs to determine if the study parameters are compatible with required safety procedures, or if the new units will continue to be in medium security facilities.

For now, the DOC plans to maintain the Little Scandinavia unit at SCI Chester for the foreseeable future. Decisions about which prisons will see a unit like it are in the works. However, the department is committed to the project. Harry stated, “As we look to expand, we will continue to evaluate the decisions and use the data to drive further decision making.”

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