In examining the roots of exceptionalism, referring to the low rates of imprisonment and humane prison conditions, in Finland, Norway, and Sweden, it is argued that exceptionalism emerges from the cultures of equality that existed in these countries which were embedded in their social fabrics through the universalism of the Scandinavian welfare state. In this first of a two-part paper, attention is given to the considerably neglected subject of low-imprisonment societies. It provides a sociological account of Scandinavian exceptionalism and is based on research undertaken in Finland, Norway, and Sweden in 2006. This included visits to 16 prisons and discussions with academics, policymakers, criminal justice practitioners, politicians, judges, and prisoners, as well as observations of everyday life in these countries. Figures, references