從人道監禁到監獄擁擠：北歐刑事政策的變遷與未來挑戰

長期以來，北歐國家以低監禁率與人道化的監獄管理模式聞名，被視為「監獄改革的典範」。挪威、芬蘭、丹麥、瑞典與冰島的監獄制度強調受刑人的人權保障，並透過教育與復健措施協助受刑人重返社會。然而，近年來，隨著政治環境變遷與刑事政策趨於嚴厲，這些國家正面臨監獄過度擁擠、人力資源短缺等挑戰，部分現象與英國、法國等國家相似。

Nordic countries have long been known for their low incarceration rates and humane prison management models, and are regarded as "models of prison reform." The prison systems of Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland emphasize the protection of the human rights of prisoners and help prisoners reintegrate into society through education and rehabilitation measures. However, in recent years, as the political environment has changed and criminal policies have become stricter, these countries are facing challenges such as overcrowding in prisons and shortages of human resources. Some of the phenomena are similar to those in countries such as the United Kingdom and France.

許多專家指出，北歐監獄制度的轉變，與近年來保守派政治勢力的增長、對犯罪問題日益強硬的政策導向，以及減少專家在刑事政策決策過程中的影響力密切相關。監獄擁擠、獄警短缺、獨居監禁增加等問題，正對北歐的監獄管理帶來前所未有的挑戰。

挪威：再犯率低 但自殘事件急劇上升

挪威的監獄制度長期受到讚譽，其人性化的管理方式備受推崇。該國受刑人擁有投票權，並可接受與社區相同水準的教育與醫療服務，部分監獄甚至允許夫妻探監同居。此外，挪威政府強調「失去自由即是懲罰」，因此在監獄內，受刑人仍保有基本的公民權利。挪威的再犯率相對較低，服刑兩年後的再犯率僅 20%。然而，值得注意的是，該國監獄內的外籍受刑人比例較高，其中約一半會在服刑後被驅逐出境，這可能影響該國再犯率的統計結果。

Many experts point out that the transformation of the Nordic prison system is closely related to the growth of conservative political power in recent years, the increasingly tough policy orientation on crime issues, and the reduction of the influence of experts in the criminal policy decision-making process. Issues such as prison overcrowding, prison guard shortages, and the increase in solitary confinement are posing unprecedented challenges to prison management in Northern Europe.

Norway: Recidivism rates are low, but self-harm incidents are rising sharply

Norway's prison system has long been praised and its humane management style is highly regarded. Prisoners in this country have the right to vote and receive the same level of education and medical services as those in the community. Some prisons even allow couples to visit and live together. In addition, the Norwegian government emphasizes that "loss of freedom is punishment", so in prison, prisoners still retain their basic civil rights. Norway has a relatively low recidivism rate of only 20% after two years in prison. However, it is worth noting that the country has a relatively high proportion of foreign inmates in prisons, about half of whom will be deported after serving their sentences, which may affect the country's recidivism rate statistics.

儘管挪威監獄制度在國際上受到廣泛關注，但近年來也出現諸多問題。根據挪威國會監察專員（Parliamentary Ombud）發布的年度報告，該國監獄近年來面臨自殘事件上升、人力資源短缺等問題。數據顯示，2022 年的自殘事件比四年前增加了 20 倍，這顯示監獄內的心理健康問題日益嚴重。此外，監獄因人力不足而增加獨居監禁（solitary confinement）的使用頻率，導致部分受刑人長期與外界隔離，引發人權團體關切。

Although the Norwegian prison system has received widespread international attention, many problems have arisen in recent years. According to an annual report released by the Norwegian Parliamentary Ombudsman (Parliamentary Ombud), the country's prisons have faced problems such as an increase in self-harm incidents and a shortage of human resources in recent years. Incidents of self-harm increased 20 times in 2022 compared with four years ago, data shows, highlighting the growing problem of mental health issues in prisons. In addition, prisons have increased the frequency of solitary confinement due to insufficient manpower, resulting in some inmates being isolated from the outside world for long periods of time, which has aroused concern from human rights groups.

挪威政府目前正考慮增加監獄資源配置，以緩解監獄管理的壓力。然而，專家警告，若不積極應對監獄擁擠與獄警短缺等問題，未來可能會對挪威監獄制度的優勢造成影響。

芬蘭：監獄容量飽和 受刑人缺乏活動空間

芬蘭曾在 1960 至 1970 年代擁有西歐最高的監禁率，但經過數十年的刑事改革，監禁率已降至歐洲最低之一。然而，隨著政府對性犯罪與槍枝犯罪採取更嚴格的刑罰，該國監禁率可能再次上升。

芬蘭監獄以人道化管理著稱，受刑人可自主安排日常生活，並維持與社會的聯繫，以利日後順利重返社會。然而，芬蘭監獄管理局於 2023 年表示，該國監獄已達飽和狀態，導致受刑人缺乏足夠的放風時間與活動空間。

此外，監獄人力短缺問題也日益嚴重。根據統計，2006 至 2016 年間，政府預算削減導致監獄人力縮減 17%。由於培訓一名合格獄警需要 16 個月，部分崗位長期人手不足，使現有獄警的工作負擔大幅增加。

The Norwegian government is currently considering increasing prison resource allocation to ease the pressure on prison management. However, experts warn that failure to proactively address prison overcrowding and prison guard shortages could undermine the strengths of Norway's prison system in the future.

Finland: Prison capacity is saturated and inmates lack space to move around

Finland once had the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe in the 1960s and 1970s, but decades of penal reforms have reduced it to one of the lowest in Europe. However, the country's incarceration rate is likely to rise again as the government adopts tougher sentences for sex and gun crimes.

Finnish prisons are known for their humane management. Inmates can arrange their daily lives independently and maintain contact with society to facilitate their smooth return to society in the future. However, the Finnish Prison Service stated in 2023 that the country's prisons have reached saturation, resulting in inmates lacking sufficient relaxation time and activity space.

In addition, prison manpower shortages are becoming increasingly serious. According to statistics, government budget cuts led to a 17% reduction in the prison workforce between 2006 and 2016. Because it takes 16 months to train a qualified prison officer, some positions are chronically understaffed, significantly increasing the workload on existing prison officers.

為解決這一問題，芬蘭政府正在考慮擴建監獄設施，並加強獄警培訓計畫。然而，部分人權團體對此表示擔憂，認為擴建監獄可能加強「監禁文化」，與芬蘭長期以來的刑事改革理念背道而馳。

丹麥：監獄擁擠問題惡化 獄警短缺影響安全

丹麥監獄近年來面臨過度擁擠的問題，2023 年監獄收容率達 101.2%，創下近 80 年來最高紀錄。這主要與刑事政策趨嚴有關，例如強暴與暴力犯罪的刑期延長。

與此同時，獄警人數卻持續減少。2023 年，丹麥獄警人數比十年前減少 27%，導致監獄安全管理面臨挑戰。由於人手短缺，監獄內的技能培訓工坊經常關閉，影響受刑人學習與技能培養。此外，研究顯示，11% 的獄警罹患創傷後壓力症候群（PTSD），獄警的病假率也比其他公務員高出 50%。

租用科索沃監獄空間 引發人權爭議

To address the problem, the Finnish government is considering expanding prison facilities and strengthening training programs for prison guards. However, some human rights groups have expressed concern that the expansion of prisons may strengthen "a culture of imprisonment" and run counter to Finland's long-standing concept of criminal reform.

Denmark: Prison overcrowding worsens, prison guard shortage affects safety

Danish prisons have faced overcrowding issues in recent years, with prison occupancy reaching 101.2% in 2023, the highest level in nearly 80 years. This is mainly related to the tightening of criminal policies, such as longer sentences for rape and violent crimes.

At the same time, the number of prison officers continues to decrease. In 2023, there are 27% fewer prison officers in Denmark than a decade ago, leading to challenges in managing prison security. Due to manpower shortage, skills training workshops in prisons are often closed, affecting inmates' learning and skill development. In addition, studies show that 11% of correctional officers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the sick leave rate among correctional officers is 50% higher than that of other civil servants.

由於監獄空間短缺，丹麥政府預計今年將面臨 1,000 個監獄床位的不足。為解決問題，丹麥政府已與科索沃簽署協議，租用 300 個監獄床位。

然而，此舉引發人權團體擔憂。專家指出，遠距監禁將使受刑人更難與家人聯繫，影響其社會關係的維持。此外，歐洲委員會防止酷刑委員會（Committee for the Prevention of Torture）於 2021 年訪問科索沃監獄時發現，當地獄警貪腐問題嚴重，並有對受刑人施暴的情況，恐對受刑人權利造成威脅。

Renting prison space in Kosovo sparks human rights controversy

The Danish government expects to face a shortfall of 1,000 prison beds this year due to a shortage of prison space. To address the problem, the Danish government has signed an agreement with Kosovo to lease 300 prison beds.

However, the move has raised concerns among human rights groups. Experts point out that remote incarceration will make it more difficult for prisoners to contact their families and affect the maintenance of social relationships. In addition, when the Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the Council of Europe visited Kosovo prisons in 2021, it was found that there was a serious corruption problem among prison guards and there were cases of violence against inmates, which may pose a threat to the rights of inmates.

北歐監獄制度仍具啟發性 但面臨新挑戰

儘管面臨上述挑戰，北歐國家的監獄制度仍然是全球監獄改革的重要參考。其低監禁率與重視受刑人權利的管理模式，在許多方面仍優於其他國家。然而，隨著政治立場轉變與刑事政策趨於嚴厲，北歐國家也無法避免監獄擁擠、人力短缺等問題。

Nordic prison system remains inspiring but faces new challenges

Despite the above challenges, the prison systems of the Nordic countries remain an important reference for prison reform worldwide. Its low incarceration rate and management model that values ​​the rights of prisoners still outperform other countries in many aspects. However, as political stances change and criminal policies become more stringent, Nordic countries cannot avoid problems such as prison overcrowding and manpower shortages.

未來，如何在維持人道監禁原則的同時，解決監獄管理上的困境，將成為北歐刑事政策的重要課題。

In the future, how to solve the dilemma of prison management while maintaining the principle of humane imprisonment will become an important issue in Nordic criminal policy.