Prison Conditions Around the World

Prison conditions are very different in different parts of the world. Consider Sweden, for example, at one end of the spectrum. In a wing of Sweden's top-security prison, red drapes hang from the ceiling while small candles burn on an altar and men kneel in prayer; prisoners have the opportunity to apply to spend some of their sentence in religious meditation. Similarly, in Denmark, the guards at Jyderup State Prison don't wear uniform and don't even carry guns. And then, there's Congo where the prisons are so horrific that the New York Times observed, "If there is a worse place on earth than a Congolese prison, stay well away." Prison Conditions Around the World describes prison conditions in countries on every continent. The stark contrasts are as dramatic as they are instructional.