U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

PRISON SYSTEM OF DENMARK

NCJ Number
141570
Date Published
1990
Length
35 pages
Annotation

In Denmark, where the crime rate has increased considerably over the past 20 years, sanctions allowed by the Penal Code include fines, lenient imprisonment, and imprisonment; 55 percent of reported criminal offenses in 1989 were property crimes.

Abstract

The primary principles governing the use of imprisonment include using prison as a last resort, rehabilitating offenders, giving the inmate responsibility for self- administration, releasing the prisoner on probation and aftercare, and instilling a sense of personal integrity. While inmates are usually placed in open prisons, those who are deemed to be particularly dangerous or who pose a high risk of escape or adverse influence on fellow inmates are placed in closed institutions. This report describes the organization of Denmark's correctional service, focusing on the system's structure, budget, staff, and facilities. The chapter on prison operation outlines inmate characteristics and summarizes various programs including work programs, education and training, social welfare, leisure time activities, religious activities, health service, visits, leaves of absence, and disciplinary measures.