The Effectivity of the U.S. Prison Education Model: A Comparison Between Swedish and American Prisons

Abstract

The United States is in the midst of an epidemic of mass incarceration. While some countries such as Sweden have adapted a rehabilitative prison model, the United States continues to pour more than $80 billion into prison expenditures every year. This paper aims to examine the differences between prison models and prison education in the United States and Sweden, and how their prison education systems impact recidivism and prison expenditures. The history as well as the literature surrounding both countries prison models is discussed. Using statistical methods, the potential money that could be saved by investing more seriously in a prison education model is evaluated. Interviews were conducted with those who had experiences within a prison education system to add more depth and context to the research. The analysis showed a strong correlation between implementing a rehabilitative model like Sweden's, saving the United States billions of dollars, reducing recidivism, and creating sociological benefits for incarcerated people.