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Photos: ‘Mooing’ towards freedom in Sweden’s open prison farms

Sweden is among the countries with the fewest prisoners in the world. The Scandinavian nation prefers to put people on probation over incarceration, favours widespread use of ankle monitors, sentences people to community service, and releases prisoners after two-thirds of time served. One of its novel ideas towards prisoner reintegration are minimum security "open prisons" like the one in the town of Mariestad, about 300 kilometres (185 miles) southwest of Stockholm which houses 60 and functions as a cow farm.

Updated on: Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM IST

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It’s barely 6:00 am and Alfred is already busy milking cows. But when his chores on the farm are done, he won’t be going home -- he’ll be returning to his prison cell, in the Swedish city of Mariestad, located 300 kilometres southwest of Stockholm. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

It’s barely 6:00 am and Alfred is already busy milking cows. But when his chores on the farm are done, he won’t be going home -- he’ll be returning to his prison cell, in the Swedish city of Mariestad, located 300 kilometres southwest of Stockholm. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

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A guard walks past a road sign “Beware of a cow” displayed outside a warehouse at Rodjan, an open prison functioning as a farm in the city of Mariestad. In Sweden, which prioritises rehabilitation over punishment, Alfred is one of 60 inmates preparing to reintegrate into society at this open prison. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

A guard walks past a road sign “Beware of a cow” displayed outside a warehouse at Rodjan, an open prison functioning as a farm in the city of Mariestad. In Sweden, which prioritises rehabilitation over punishment, Alfred is one of 60 inmates preparing to reintegrate into society at this open prison. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

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A view of a house where inmates live, at Rodjan farm. Imprisoned since April for illegally possessing a gun, Alfred, a grandfather in his 50s who is due to be released in November, can’t hide the joy he gets from spending time with the animals. “I like them... they calm me down,” he said with a sigh. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

A view of a house where inmates live, at Rodjan farm. Imprisoned since April for illegally possessing a gun, Alfred, a grandfather in his 50s who is due to be released in November, can’t hide the joy he gets from spending time with the animals. “I like them... they calm me down,” he said with a sigh. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

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In this agricultural prison -- the biggest of the Swedish penitentiary system’s three farms —inmate routines are the same every day. Alfred meets up with his work assignment partner Sofian (both names have been changed to protect their identities) in the morning for two and a half hours of work and then once again in the evening. (AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

In this agricultural prison -- the biggest of the Swedish penitentiary system’s three farms —inmate routines are the same every day. Alfred meets up with his work assignment partner Sofian (both names have been changed to protect their identities) in the morning for two and a half hours of work and then once again in the evening. (AFP)

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An inmate milks dairy cows at the Rodjan open prison. Other inmates work on the farm watering the plants, repainting the gates, and mowing the lawn. And a dozen of them are in charge of the livestock. “I clean (the udder) to avoid the bacteria, then I disinfect it” before pulling the teats, Alfred said enthusiastically. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

An inmate milks dairy cows at the Rodjan open prison. Other inmates work on the farm watering the plants, repainting the gates, and mowing the lawn. And a dozen of them are in charge of the livestock. “I clean (the udder) to avoid the bacteria, then I disinfect it” before pulling the teats, Alfred said enthusiastically. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

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Sweden has among the fewest prisoners in the world. The Scandinavian nation spends twice as much as France on each detainee and works hard to avoid confinement. Instead, it prefers to put people on probation, favours widespread use of ankle monitors, sentences people to community service, and releases prisoners after two-thirds of time served. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

Sweden has among the fewest prisoners in the world. The Scandinavian nation spends twice as much as France on each detainee and works hard to avoid confinement. Instead, it prefers to put people on probation, favours widespread use of ankle monitors, sentences people to community service, and releases prisoners after two-thirds of time served. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

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“It’s our system for bringing people out into society in a good way, so they don’t come back to prison again,” Britt-Marie Johansson, head of the Rodjan institution, told AFP. As in all penitentiaries across Sweden, inmates have their own cells. At Rodjan, they’re unlocked. There are no security cameras, no gates, no barbed wire, and inmates are allowed to move about freely. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

“It’s our system for bringing people out into society in a good way, so they don’t come back to prison again,” Britt-Marie Johansson, head of the Rodjan institution, told AFP. As in all penitentiaries across Sweden, inmates have their own cells. At Rodjan, they’re unlocked. There are no security cameras, no gates, no barbed wire, and inmates are allowed to move about freely. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

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Sweden has more than a dozen open prisons across the country. Closing the fence to the meadow after he finishes milking the cows, Alfred jokes that the cows are more locked up than the prisoners. The inmates work 35 hours per week with two days off and are paid 13 kronor (1.2 euros, $1.15) an hour. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

Sweden has more than a dozen open prisons across the country. Closing the fence to the meadow after he finishes milking the cows, Alfred jokes that the cows are more locked up than the prisoners. The inmates work 35 hours per week with two days off and are paid 13 kronor (1.2 euros, $1.15) an hour. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

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A dairy truck leaves Rodjan farm. On his days off, Alfred admits that he regularly steps into the barn “to see if everything is fine”. Other inmates have been known to call the prison on their days off if they know the cows are due to give birth. In 2012, the farm received an award from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf for the quality of its milk. (AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

A dairy truck leaves Rodjan farm. On his days off, Alfred admits that he regularly steps into the barn “to see if everything is fine”. Other inmates have been known to call the prison on their days off if they know the cows are due to give birth. In 2012, the farm received an award from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf for the quality of its milk. (AFP)

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Despite enjoying his time with the cows, Alfred does not see himself staying in the farming business after completing his sentence, even though he grew up surrounded by cows on his grandparents’ farm. “I saw how it went for them... it’s too hard,” he says. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Updated on Aug 14, 2018 9:38 AM

Despite enjoying his time with the cows, Alfred does not see himself staying in the farming business after completing his sentence, even though he grew up surrounded by cows on his grandparents’ farm. “I saw how it went for them... it’s too hard,” he says. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

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