Prior to the 18th century, retribution was the leading ideology in Swedish prisons. For the majority of crimes, the penalty was death. Beginning in the 1800's, proposals for humanizing the prisons were published. At the end of 1844, the prison rate in Sweden was four times higher than it is today. In 1945, the penitentiary system was abolished, and alternatives to imprisonment and fines have since been introduced. In 1965, the Swedish Penal Code was established, and the prison and probation services were reorganized in 1974. The Penal Code categorizes sanctions according to these classifications: imprisonment, imposed from 14 days to 10 years or life; youth imprisonment, imposed on offenders 18 to 20 years old; internment, reserved for persons who commit serious crimes; surrender for special treatment, such as psychiatric care, child welfare, treatment for inebriates, etc.; and fines, conditional sentence, and probation. The average stay in prison for persons in an institution whose detention ended in 1979 was about 4 months. The Swedish prison population generally consists of young males with social problems, poor education, and limited job opportunities. Drug addiction is a serious problem; about 30 percent of the prison population were drug addicts by the late 1970's. After several food strikes in the early 1970's, the National Prison and Probation Administration recognized inmates' right to organize and be represented by inmate associations. Also outlined are the Swedish criminal justice process, trends in crime statistics, and changes in Swedish criminal laws. During the last 2 years, types of indeterminate incarceration, youth imprisonment, and internment were abolished. Tables and 15 references are included.