BETWEEN 1972 AND 1977, THE NUMBER OF PERSONS ENTERING PRISONS AND THE PRISON POPULATION DECLINED, EVEN THOUGH REPORTED CRIMES INCREASED, BECAUSE THE SWEDISH SYSTEM USES A NUMBER OF ALTERNATIVES TO PRISON. PRINCIPLES OF SWEDISH CORRECTIONS INCLUDE USING NONINSTITUTIONAL FORMS OF TREATMENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, PLACING PRISONERS NEAR THEIR HOME TOWNS, AND RELYING ON SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. THERE ARE 21 NATIONAL PRISONS FOR PRISONERS SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 1 YEAR; THEY ARE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE NATIONAL PRISON AND PROBATION ADMINISTRATION (NPPA). THE NPPA'S 13 REGIONS CONSIST OF REMAND PRISONS, PROBATION DISTRICTS, AND LOCAL INSTITUTIONS WHICH HOUSE 40 TO 60 INMATES. THE 1974 ACT ON CORRECTIONAL TREATMENT IN INSTITUTIONS HELPS TO GUARANTEE PRISONERS' RIGHTS AND ALLOWS FOR FURLOUGHS, WORK RELEASES, AND SOJOURNS OUTSIDE THE PRISON. FURLOUGHS CAN BE GRANTED AFTER A 4-MONTH QUALIFYING PERIOD FOR SHORTER TERM INMATES FOR 72-HOUR FAMILY VISITING, AND THEREAFTER EVERY 2 MONTHS. SHORT FURLOUGHS ENABLE PRISONERS TO CONTACT HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES, ATTEND INTERVIEWS, AND LEAVE FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. RELEASE FURLOUGHS MEAN THAT THE PRISONER LIVES AWAY FROM THE PRISON AND WORKS AT AN ORDINARY JOB. SOJOURNS ARE USUALLY GRANTED FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT IN A THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY FOR DRUG OR ALCOHOL ABUSE. SOME PRISONS CONTAIN ONLY WORK RELEASE INMATES, AND MANY OF THESE HOUSE BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. TWO INDUSTRIAL PROGRAM EXPERIMENTS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED IN PRISON, WHICH PAY MARKET WAGES FOR PRODUCTION WORK, THEREBY ALLOWING PRISONERS TO PAY OFF DEBTS AND ELIMINATING SOME OF THE FINANCIAL HELP NEEDED WHEN RELEASED INTO THE COMMUNITY. PROBLEMS IN THE SWEDISH SYSTEM INCLUDE THE HIGH RATE OF DRUG USE AND THE MISUSE OF FURLOUGHS AND SOJOURNS. NO REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.