The Norden - new episode, we need your input!
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Tell us what you want us to focus on in an upcoming episode of The Norden!
We're planning a new episode of The Norden, this time with a little twist. We'll hope to be able to bring two prison wardens from the Nordic countries (Norway and Finland) over to the US in the summer of 2016. We'd visit a couple of US prisons. What would you like us to discuss? Which works better - punishment or rehabilitation? What works in the US prison system, and what doesn't? What else? Contact us by commenting this video, mail me on john.stark@yle.fi or tweet me at @starkjg
Thanks once again for your comments - we appreciate it a lot!
Also, proper nutrition in prisons. The same prison guard who spoke to our class and unintentionally told us about his abuse of power also told us that inmates are very well fed and have a variety of food available to them including hot dogs (and other unhealthy examples). It is proven that poor nutrition and a lack of certain vitamins and minerals is conducive to aggression and violent behavior and can make the prison environment more hostile. This probably won't be the focus of the documentary, but should definitely be mentioned because it's not spoken about nearly enough! It could tie into the topic of rehabilitation. For example, let's say an inmate ate crappy food void of nutrients all his life and comes to prison and is given the nutrition he needs this change alone could be enough to start him off on the path.
+xxshell16 That's actually a very interesting aspect that I myself have never thought about. Food is such an important factor when it comes to our physical and mental health, so healthy and good (tasty) food in prison should be the norm.
I think that you should focus on the treatment of the mentally ill in us prisons in comparison to Nordic ones.
Can you guys make one on healthcare?
Rehabilitation and recidivism would be a good main topic, in my opinion. Rehabilitation isn't heavily focused on here in the states; it's more about punishment. It's difficult to reenter into society after prison as well, and recidivism is high.
+Cain Black Thank you! We do agree that that's one of the focuses in the upcoming episode.
American here, I would love to see the difference between American individualism and Norden collectivism (for a lack of a better word). It seems that in the Nordic nations many people work together for the betterment of their society but in the US people are much more individualistic. Maybe that isn't the case but it seems to be from my experiences. Thank you!
+Greg Evershed Thanks for your comment! We'll see how it turns out :)
I'm sure the nordic prison wardens would be interested in that the american prisons make money by housing more prisoners.
+WunKewlFrawg Definitely. Thank you!
Rehabilitation vs. punishment.
Rehabilitation programs available to inmates. A lot of prison staff will say that there are all sorts of programs available to the inmates, and inmates will say the opposite. What is the actual reality?
Abuse of power is another very important issue. A Canadian prison guard came to speak to my college class and he let slip a few examples where he abused of his power with regards to intervening when an inmate was in crisis (I don't think he realized what he was actually telling us). Abuse of power is such a big issue, not only in the prison system, but in many other fields.
I thoroughly enjoyed the episode where a U.S. warden visited Nordic prisons, and am anxiously awaiting this one!
+xxshell16 Thanks for your questions and your very kind feedback. Your thoughts are on our list from now on - including the nutrition ones.
Another interesting practice which I don't know if it occurs in Norway is restorative justice. This is when a victim of crime meets the person who commits the crime against them, so they can understand the effect the crime has had on the victim. I believe this can be positive for both the victim and criminal and also reduce re offending rates.
I'd definitely want you to visit both a low-security and a high-security prison and see the Nordic wardens' opinion on the most humane prison in the US.
+OwariNeko Thanks - we'd like to do that as well. Can't promise anything at this stage, but it's on our wish list.
why they think that the death penalty is a good idea, and their obsession with punishment
+zocke1r Thank you very much - I'm quite sure we'll look into that!
Yes! The Norden episodes are great!
+Wequz It's our sincere pleasure, thanks for watching!
I believe you guys should compare the difference of how people work, the hours they works, touch upon unions, etc. As people in the United States are becoming more like slaves working long hours with lower pay and less employee protections, it would be nice to see how more social societies are different.
You should invite a republican to see how the Nortic welfare system is and how the stats work. Bernie Sanders could need a hand from us ;)
As someone else has mentioned the role of profit in private prisons and the way that effects the way the prison is run. My understanding is that prisoners in the U.S. can constitute a large almost slave labour force which can be highly profitable for those who run the prisons.
+Jake Cross Bump!
What I would be interested in within the US prison system are the private prisons. I think that this is something that is unique to the US. I'm interested in the philosophy behind establishing something like that. I'm not from the US and it's baffling to me.
+shade_grey That's a very good question. We'll definitely try to look into this as well - privatizing prisons certainly feels a bit strange. Thanks a lot!
I think a great episode would be one that highlights the far more enlightened social welfare policies of the Nordic countries compared to the US For example: A single mother working as a waitress in the US and the challenges she faces paying rent, providing food and clothing for her children compared to what a single mother in a similar situation would face in Nordic countries.
Another idea would be comparing university students in the US, who often graduate with huge debts from student loans, with their counterparts in Nordic countries.
Of course the Nordic healthcare systems would also make a great episode.
I think these are great ideas. In the USA, "welfare" is considered a dirty word! And student loan debt in the US is a HUGE problem that is getting worse and worse.
If you visit a women's prison, I think that you should ask the guards about sanitation. particularly, access to feminine hygiene products. In some US prisons, women are given very few feminine hygiene products to use and are often forced into using "makeshift" pads and tampons out of toilet paper.
Ask about rehabilitation programs. Ask about length of sentences per crime. Ask about use of force and rape within prisons - either from guards or other inmates. As about job programs and what the prisoners are paid, if anything.
+Brandy Lawson Excellent questions and points, thanks a lot for them! We'll do our best!
+John Stark also, you should try to speak to a few reformed convicts. Years ago, I was incarcerated. I know that many of us have powerful stories about life in a US prison.
+Brandy Lawson We have that on our wish list as well. First-hand experiences are very relevant and powerful, so we'll try to arrange for that to happen. And if you want to share your story - or know people who would - then please feel free to mail me on john.stark@yle.fi , and we'll see if we can cooperate in one form or another. Thanks!
The importance of being non-judgemental, perhaps. It seems your prison system has it on its ethics and values (or maybe as a general rule in all society). Great show!
+dunyazade Thank you for your comment and the kind feedback, we appreciate it. That's a great point, regarding being non-judgemental!
Yesssssss!! Another Episode!
You should make them face their bad policy. Helping the prisoners and treating them humane obviously works. The numbers say it all.
Great series btw! Looking forward to seeing the nordic countries some day.
I don't know if someone else has mentioned this, but I think you have to look at the use of long term solitary confinement and the psychological impact that has on prisoners. My understanding is that in US prisons the use of solitary confinement has greatly increased over the last 20 years.
Please shed some light on what people get convicted for and how people who have committed lighter offenses (like marijuana possession) are treated compared to people who have committed heavier crimes
+Ondrikus Yep, good one, thanks for that! The "weight" and importance of some crimes compared to others, and how society defines them, is interesting indeed, we'll try our best to discuss this as well. Thanks!
The differences beetwen the Psychological help given to people in prison in the Us and Norway
This isn't really about the prison idea, but what about an episode between the differences of the U.S. and Nordic education systems. Like bring a high school graduate from the U.S. and show him/her what it's like around Scandinavia. Just a thought.
**the path to rehabilitation
How private prisons are funded, deals between prison wardens and local law enforcement.
The bail system, including private bailiffs.
The overuse of incarceration for very trivial offences, such as speeding ticket fines etc.
The use of prison instead of a mental health facility.
Btw- I think your programmes are excellent but would be better if they were forty minutes or an hour long.
+pickledellies Great questions and issues, thanks for them. The upcoming documentary will be 58 minutes long by the way :)
+John Stark.
Excellent, I look forward to seeing your production.
+pickledellies
Sorry may I add something else. If you have time would it be possible to explore the feelings of the victims of crime, particularly serious crime. As whilst the Nordic system is obviously superior in terms of rehabilitation, it would be interesting to explore their thoughts on the treatment of a perpetrator.
You should highlight the fact that the US has a large number of private prisons that are run to make a profit. It's a very different model that has caused great controversy because it leads to the situation where businessmen have a financial incentive to get more people imprisoned.
As others said, rehabilitation would be a great topic. I'd also be interested in knowing a bit a more about the philosophical reasoning behind the different systems.
+Corentin Vacheret Thanks - we'll do our best :)
Are you going to make more episodes of different topic? It would be great to see reactions to for example Nordic educational systems (elementary level and for example university level from free education perspective) and childcare (kindergartens and so on). I really liked the previous episodes, great show!
I think a good focus would be the ''Day-To-Day'' conditions and life of a prisoner (example: What he does everyday, How he finds the atmosphere...etc)
I am looking forward to seeing your program!!
+Noah Gianfranceschi Thanks for the idea - we'll do our best!
Oh no problem! You always do a very good work!!
One other big topic you could do would be pluralism versus someone from a two-party system such as the US. How they see the situation where parties with 10% backing are neither eliminated nor get to hijack a big 50% party. I think the Nordic countries are a better example of this than places like Italy and France where the results have been somewhat less successful (in different ways).
Rehabilitation/re-entry programs should be examined or questioned as to why they aren't used her in the US
+jshukla423 Can you help me a bit by opening up your question a little further, in more detail? Thanks for thinking along!
+John Stark well in the United States there is little to nothing offered to prisoners when they are released. Often times because they have been in prison for so long that they can't find work housing etc. as a result they often turn back to crime to pay for bills which makes them end up back in prison. John Oliver did several segments on the American prison system in his show Last week tonight. Many of which are available on RUclips.
+jshukla423 Thanks!
How about an episode on drug use both legal and illegal, its cultural relevance, its legality in Nordic countries compared to America (just as an example country), and other related matters to consciousness altering substances?
You should do one on education-especially because college is so expensive in the US
I believe you should focus on education, it is well known that scandinavian education is on the top of the world. But everyone else wonder why. Fox example you can take a professor from the US to scandinavian schools to see the difference between both educational systems.
+Juampa Lescano I agree with this suggestion. My wife works as a private school teacher here in the US, and she is absolutely fed up with how schools are run over here. There is a lack of respect for teachers (teachers are generally blamed for low-performing or disruptive students, not the students or the parents that raised them). Sports are overly glamorized (and students are taken out of classrooms for sports-related activities), whereas actual smarts is looked down upon by peers. There are a lot of politics in pass rates, and a school's funding will be based purely on pass rates, and so it become incentivized to pass students in classes they shouldn't be passing ... believe me, I've heard everything, and its disgusting how poorly education is treated here in the US. Also colleges, which are actually quite decent here, are not only outrageously expensive (most students are in debt the time they come out of college/university, and stay in debt), but also those coming into college from the poorly-ran grade-level schools are poorly prepared for the college/university rigour and curriculum (and more and more college/university students are dropping/failing).
I'd like to see and hear about prisoners with life without parole. How do they live in the system and what do the wardens think about such prisoners and all the years they are spending there without any hope of getting out.
+Markku Hänninen Thanks!
Troubled kids.
I grew up in the system (NW Europe) and it was tough, really tough.
It'd be interesting to know how you guys up North deal with lonely, vulnerable children who have nothing in their lives and nothing to aim for.
The Norden is a great show.
+Leon Chevalier Thanks for the suggestion - that's a great, albeit challenging theme. Good one!
Most important (cost and success rate) looking forward to next "The Norden"
Another thing: how about prisoners with disabilities, physical and others? How are they treated?
+dunyazade Good points!
If you guys are making anymore episodes, I think doing one about health care in Scandinavia vs. the US would be wonderful and very enlightening!
Rehabilitation and recidivism are probably the biggest ones. USA does things different than the rest of the western world and their results are much worse when it comes to recidivism, which seems odd. You'd think they'd change a system that clearly doesn't show any positive effect, but since they're private businesses, why would they? They want people to come back cause that's what makes money.
There's also the horrific fact about the prison lobby over there. There are several places in the USA where private prisons are *guaranteed* prisoners by contracts with the states which is obviously insane. In a perfect world prisons would be empty, but that will never happen when states guarantee private prison owners occupancy of 70-90%. They will just have to throw innocent people in jail to fill the quota then I guess.
Just did a quick search to show that I'm not just making shit up. Here's a few examples. Just search for "prison quotas" if you want more.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/19/private-prison-quotas_n_3953483.html
www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/03/18/private-prisons-holder-minorities-inmates-column/6580077/
thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/09/20/2658701/private-prison-firms-quotas-cells-coffers/
americansperspective.com/prison-quotas-what-they-mean-to-you/
+Gnawer Shreth Excellent stuff, thanks a lot! Yeah, the most common critique of the Nordic prisons episode was the fact that we didn't talk about the recidivism rate much at all. It'll certainly be one of the main focus areas in one way or another this time around.
+John Stark Yes, and the recidivism rate is largely due to parole violations.
A large percentage of those who go back to prison are sent back because of parole violations.
MrOttopants What are you trying to say? Do you think we don't have paroles in the Nordics?
It seems pretty obvious that it's the complete lack of belief in any kind of rehabilitation in the USA. It seems to be all about revenge and punishment.
The prisons obviously have no interest in getting things changed even though they see that the current system isn't working. People being rehabilitated is bad for business. Having a for-profit prison system is just crazy.
Gnawer Shreth
No, of course you have parole.
When you go on parole in the US, however, you have very little to no support.
We don't have a social welfare system that would do very much for people getting out of prisons.
It's the fact that the people get out and have not gained the skills to succeed, but also that the laws actively work against the parolee. It makes it incredibly difficult for a paroled prisoner to be able to have any chance to succeed, so they end up right back where they started.
You're right about the issue of rehabilitation. And it's part of what increases the parole violations.
Instead of being humane and providing an environment that fosters success, we have created a system that seeks first and foremost to inflict pain and punishment.
However, the people involved in it actually do believe it's working.
The fundamental difference is that Americans think that a criminal deserves as much pain and punishment as possible.
We have people here who argue that it is perfectly reasonable that a 12 year old boy was shot by police for doing absolutely nothing.
You could look at the attitude from victims of crime and politicians to the appropriate level of "punishment" for given crimes in the U.S. compared with Norway. What do victims think should be done with those who committed crime against them?
do a video on Nordic health and medicine.
I would like to know how does the general public perceive a prisoner or ex-prisoner? Can they spot them? Maybe you could have an ex-prisoner interview members of the public and as them this question, and questions like: would they hire an ex-prisoner? How should current and former prisoners be treated? I would be interested in these questions because it would be interesting to see if people have a false perception of what prison, prisoners, and ex-prisoners are like - perhaps they are being really harsh, e.g. when they support the death penalty, but when they meet someone who was formerly on death row but has been acquitted (or similar) they will change their mind.
Great points, thank you!
My apologies as my suggestion does not directly relate to prisons. I would suggest topics for, potentially, two shows. How do the lowest class of people, those financially disadvantaged fare in Scandinavia compared to those in the United States. A second topic would then be the reverse, a comparison of how most wealthy live in Scandinavia as opposed to the opulent lifestyles of the wealthiest Americans. The first suggestion is, of course, the closest in relation to the topic of prisons as those most disadvantaged in American society are often altogether too familiar with the prison system.
Although it's quite a while ago you asked for Input I'm gonna try now.
It would be exciting to get an insight into:
a) education
b) health care
of the Scandinavian Countries.
Thanks for your effort. 🙏
Ask them how much they make off letting prisoners deal drugs.
+Vid Petelin Well, it certainly seems to be a reality, so we'd need to look into what the situation is at the moment. Thanks!
How for-profit prisons in the US compare with prisons in Scandinavia with regards to rehabilitation, violence, effects of violence on the prisoners and inhumane treatment like solitary confinement.
Hi guys. Great videos so far! How about bringing over a upper-secondary highschool teacher from the US and show them some gymnasieskolor?
I'd like to know if they find some of the sentencing of some of their inmates justified. If you look at some cases where high end CEO's commit fraud for millions and they get little to no jail time. Whilst someone who smoked weed, got sentenced for 5x years.
Do they recognize discrimination against inmates from the staffers? What do with that? What is their opinion on the police brutality? Or some of their own brutal treatment of their inmates.
I'd like for you to make them watch your episode of 'The Norden', before/after you interview them. I'd like to see if their opinions would change.
please make an episode on the educational system. about students, teachers, staff and school facilities.
I would like to see a comparison on the usage of Solitary confinement.
As we saw in the other episode we focus a lot on rehabilitation in Scandinavia, since the US doesn't what happens to the prisoners once they are released? Are they slowly introduced to society or just kinda thrown out into it? Where do they go? Can they get a job? Do they return to committing crimes and eventually go back to prison? How hard is it to break the cycle? That kind of questions would be interesting. I really enjoyed the other episodes keep up the good work :)
I'd like you to put a little focus on the underage inmates. In a lot of US Prisons there are children as young as 12 years. I think that would really be a powerful emontional moment for the norwegian officers, the viewers and also the US-people involved to hear an outsiders standpoint.
Sorry for missing this opportunity. What a great show this was.
Overall I really liked the prison documentary, so thank you for making it. I am from U.K. and I think the U.K. could probably learn things from the Norwegian prison system too. I must say I really hope Halden is a big success and if it is then it could be a model for the rest of the world.
I think it would be a good idea to produce a version of your films without subtitles and with the narrative in English. It is hard to focus on what is on the screen at the same time as reading subtitles, so I think that would make your videos more popular.
+Jake Cross Thanks for your suggestions - we've read them all, although I'm only replying on this particular one. No decision yet, but there's a good chance that this documentary will also be made in a international version, with narration in English instead of just subtitles. We're very happy to hear that you liked the existing documentary as well. Cheers!
+John Stark Thanks for the reply!
I understand you have a limited amount of time and resources, but I would certainly value learning more about Scandinavia.
As somebody of left wing politics it effects my interest in what we can learn from Scandinavia.
Bernie Sanders the US Democratic Presidential Candidate, who I like, has spoken about how in some ways the US should be more like Denmark and Scandinavia.
The Finnish education system has a very high reputation maybe you could do a program on this.
I would also like to learn about the problems and weaknesses of Scandinavian society. What do you think are the weaknesses of Scandinavian society and how can Scandinavians learn from others? This could make a basis for a documentary. I am sure there are aspects of Scandinavian society which are not as good as some other countries.
I like the progressive politics of Scandinavia. However I think the winter darkness would be a big deterrent for me to live there. Maybe you could do a programme comparing living in an equatorial climate with Scandinavia. How does the climate affect the psychology of different people and cultural personality? For example Seasonal Affective Disorder is often associated with a lack of sunlight. Are Scandinavians more reserved and do they show less "joie de vive"? How much does it make Scandinavians who they are for good and for bad? Are they less good at showing emotion? You could compare Scandinavia with for example Latin countries like Brazil where despite their political problems they have a reputation for being fun loving whereas Scandinavians often have a reputation for being gloomy. This may be an unfair stereotype, but I think it is worth investigating. In comparing countries these days it has increasingly been popular to look at figures for happiness rather than economic development. Even with its excellent progressive politics are people happier in Scandinavia?
I concur with the ones before me here in the comment section, but I'd like you to include something about solitary confinement in the documentary.
+Anssi Lehtonen Thanks for the suggestion! May I ask you to be more specific, or to describe a bit more what types of questions you're interested in? I mean, is it more like "how often are people put in solitary confinement", or more something like "what are the reasons...", or something completely different?
John Stark Oh, sorry, I'm not usually too active with this account. Uhh, yeah those questions would be nice to address, but the most interesting aspect in my opinion is the psychological one, how are the prisoners affected by this, being in dark cells all by themselves for days on end. You could do some preliminary research here: scholar.google.fi/scholar?q=solitary+confinement+psychological+effects&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ved=0CB0QgQMwAGoVChMIg6jL4IGRyQIVg5UsCh10Xw89
I think it all comes down to one basic question: "Do you want to punish or rehabilitate?"
In my opinion "Free Will" is a myth in that humans are always the result of their genetics and the world that shapes them (like their upbringing for example). But when there is no "Free Will" you can't rationalize punishing a human being for his or her behaviour simply to avenge a certain crime. The goal must always be to either lock them up to protect the rest of society from them and/or to reintroduce them into society as functioning law-abiding citizens.
So with the above philosophy in mind my question is: "How can you justify building a prison system that almost exclusively focuses on punishing people to merely 'settle their bill'?"
+Enno G. Thanks for a real concrete question, and your thoughts behind stating that particular question. It certainly is a central theme, so I'm sure we'll cover it in one way or another. Great stuff, we appreciate it!
I suggest you do a video on sex, encompassing sex education, sex work (which would be particularly interesting in the case of Sweden) and maybe things like censorship.
Invite a foreign conservative who is against the legalization of prostitution and opposes comprehensive sex education.
+iluan Hernandez Really good idea. And also how we live in a culture of sex shaming.
+iluan Hernandez Thanks for a new idea, this is something we haven't thought about earlier. Great!
Punishment vs rehabilitation and recidivism.
Also their three strikes system.
Do an episode on drugs and alcohol - the north is universally known for its strict alcohol consumption regulations! I come from the Czech Republic, which is conversely known to be very liberal in these matters, so I'd really love to know more about this.
the educational system in norway
Great idea for the prison wardens. I have a feeling the Nordic wardens will find the American prisoners much more irrational and violent, however. It might make them realize why Americans would be afraid of a peaceful approach when it comes to our prisons. In the near future, I would love to see American vs. Nordic transportation, or all around suburban/urban infrastructure. I find the Nordic capital effectively allocated in these areas.
Solitary confinement would be an interesting topic to explore, in my opinion. Especially the length of time people are forced to stay and the effects on mental health.
+Twig Thanks, much appreciated!
From what I understand, there are vast differences between county jails and state prisons. I have heard of cases where prisoners went through legal appeals to their sentence not because they think it would change their sentence, but because so long as the case is still ongoing, they get to stay in the more humane county jail before going to state prison. State prison is where gangs form like the Aryan Brotherhood, I think it would be interesting to look into that difference and what about the prison system contributes to the phenomenon of those types of gangs.
Health care!
Episodes still missing that I feel should be addresses:
1) healthcare
2) education
3) housing
4) volunteer work
Love your show The Norden :O)
watching it on Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK (with cantonese voice over)
I want to know more about educations, Jobs prospect of young people and the problem they face in living, and how influence is politics with Nordic people?
One thing you might want to focus on is the effect of transferring prisoners far from their homes. Prisoners from Vermont, for example, are chattled all over the U.S. because of its privatized prison system.
Here's an in-depth article on that topic.
www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/vermont-inmates-pine-for-their-old-kentucky-prison/Content?oid=3042079
Would be interesting to see something about gang culture and segregation of prisoners by race. How the US prison system has been the birthplace of some of America's most notorious gangs. (British sources like the Guardian have even even suggested ISIS was birthed in the US military prison in Irak)
A good question to ask guards of American prison is what type of behavior do they put a prisoner is isolation for. I very much enjoy Norden, very interesting to see American denial of functional systems.
You could look at the statistics like re - offending rates compared with Norway. You can look at the extent or not to which the hard prison sentences prisoners receive actually effect the level of crime committed.
I think you need to focus more on explainging why the nordic system works. As an outsider i am surprised at how things are but i dont get the explanation in your video's WHY and HOW the system works. Nor do i get the feeling that the ppl you breng over are proparly tought on how things work. Like the police man or the prison guard. They just went back to the usa thinking that you guys are just unaware of the risks.. So More attention or an explanation from a proffessor on why things have evolved to the way they are now, and why for instance criminality is low.
could there be a connection between the commercialisation of the prisons and the fact that the US has the highest percentage of their population in prison?
How they (guards) treat/see the prisoners and interview some of the prisoners that are there for the rest of their lives without the chance of parole.
I think that people who are brought up to fear, thank and praise a certain god have a bigger chance to traumatizing experiences than people who are not brought up that way. I would like to see a prisondata on this and other parameters and also the differences per country. Than I would like to hear their thoughts on that.
Do an episode about the political systems - and monarchy vs republics.
HEALTHCARE!!!!! The US system is CRAZY....not only very, very expensive, but it ranks close to the bottom when it comes to patient care and outcomes.
Have an American physician who opposes universal healthcare come to one of the Nordic countries, so that the American physician can see that citizens can receive adequate healthcare without bankrupting the entire country.
PLEASE, PLEASE do this! I'm an RN.....access to healthcare is a major issue right now in America. So many American doctors resist ANY kind of change in the system because they are afraid it will reduce their income!
If you can, try to talk to US prisoners and ask them some questions about how they think a prison could possibly rehabilitate them.
Hey everyone! We owe all of you a huge thanks for your valuable input. During the last months we've been hard at work in making this documentary. A trailer of the doc can be seen here: ruclips.net/video/3QNCwLEobZI/видео.html
The full documentary stills needs some finishing touches, but it'll be out in early 2017. Watch this channel!
I would like to know how the staff feels about working there, and why they are working there. And if they feel any joy in their work
+The9500hj Excellent, thanks!
Assault weapons. Great job gentlemen!!
How their prison system varies with the Nordic one in terms of rehabilitation
+Eddycurrents Thanks - I'm sure that this one will be in the focus in one way or another!
Hi - I just watched the episode about the prison system for my class. Very interesting and a much more humane approach, the focus is rehabilitation versus punishment. The system here in the USA is extremely flawed. Are all the prison systems throughout Scandinavia similar? Thanks and i look forward to more content from you. btw...I also have a schnauzer :)
Punishment versus rehabilitation aside, it could be interesting to interview a few long-time inmates on their experiences being released back to society. They might be best able to describe some of the differences of being a prisoner in America.
There was a NYTimes article about people working with first-day released inmates that really hits the point.
www.nytimes.com/2015/07/19/magazine/you-just-got-out-of-prison-now-what.html
Thanks for the series.
+Dustin Long Thanks for the kind words, it's our pleasure! Great topic you suggested as well, I think it's definitely something we'll cover! The only challenge remaining is to find actual ex-inmates.
How people with addictions (drugs) are treated.
How people with mental health issues are treated.
How retirement and old people care is viewed.
Sex industry.
It would be nice to know why the prison system here in the US seems to devalue the emotional, mental and physiological well being of prisoners. The lake of care and respect seems to be a big reason the people who end up in prison got there in the first place, and lo and behold they are met with further shock to their overall well being.
In what way does the US prison system rehabilitated its inmates?
Have you at anytime seen a rehabilitated inmate (what was the route taken for that inmate/what was special about this case), and if so at what rate do you see this happen?
edit: this might be the wrong way around. If they are Nordic prison wardens and they'll see US Prisons, won't they just be in shock.
Ask the prisoners
who is in for the smallest or pettiest of crimes and how many are in for similar reasons/crimes.
The problems are rooted in the prison-industrial-complex, the states pay private prisons with tax-payer money to house prisoners. The private prison-lobbies for harsher laws to house more prisoners. The Private prisons set the prisoners to work doing menial jobs for slave-wages.
This takes the menial/physical-labor jobs away from the middle and under class of Americans, lowering the middle class away leaving only the Poor the Rich and the Super-Rich.
Statistically there is no middle class anymore, because the median wage is too high... so yeah... there is a rabbit-hole to follow unless you just want to make a episode for patting ourselves on the back here in the Norden.
If you find someone who don't see a problem with the current US system (and you are on safe ground or have balls of steal/steel) ask this.
"The US has the largest prison population per-capital(fact-check exactly)
if the rate of imprisonment is justified and
the prison system is as good as it gets
would you say Americans are prone to be Criminals/more-Amoral or ... ?"
+Jim R. Didriksen Wow - thanks for your thoughts and questions, we really appreciate it. Many great themes and issues. We'll certainly try to include several of them. What comes to the Nordic representatives; I doubt they'll be in shock since they're experienced professionals, but the two worlds meeting is still an interesting situation. Stay tuned!
Stop by Canada, the North American Norden, to see if there is a difference.
+Guy Souriandt Uncertain at this point if we will have the resources to do so, but your suggestion is both good and relevant. Thanks!
Thank you for this update. I really enjoy your videos.
Could you at some point in the future maybe make an episode with the Danish police?
Keep up the good work!
+Moneybean Thanks for your feedback, appreciate it! Any suggestions on what type of story you'd be interested in, whether it's the Danish police or another country's police force? Any specific reason for researching them? :)
+John Stark I was thinking something similar to the episode you did in Norway, Sweden and Finland with the American police officer. Seeing things from a non-scandinavian/nordic perspective. It's always fun to hear an American's opinion on Scandinavia.
If possible, you could do the episode in both Denmark and Iceland.
By that you have the entire Scandinavian police covered on your channel.
Thank you for the quick response btw :)
+Moneybean You're absolutely right - it's always nice to hear other perspectives of one's own environment :) We'd need to come up with a different approach though, since we kind of already told that specific story with the police - although we of course didn't have the possibility to film in Denmark that time around. But what could be an alternative story, a new angle, if you know what I mean?
+John Stark I think i catch your drift. :)
Maybe the military instead of the police for example.
Having a US marine drill sergant follow the education/training of a scandinavian soldier perhaps?
Although i'm not sure if something like that even could be arranged.
+Moneybean Great minds think alike! The army as a topic has been discussed as a potential theme in the future, if we ever get the chance to do a full second season of the series. Mind you, the documentary we're planning currently is a one-off, it's not a full season, but in the future, an episode about the army would definitely be on the shortlist. Other themes (that have been requested as well) are for example education and elderly care. We'll see what the future brings :)
What are the differences in the view of the PURPOSE of prisons? How does this reflect on the treatment of the prisoners? Do different prison systems in America have different views?
How about how Norway has invested its huge petroleum wealth, and how it's has been used to benefit EVERYONE, against how the USA has invested its resource riches to benefit a small minority of people.
+Honey Ryder This.
+Honey Ryder Thanks for your suggestion. This is a large topic, but naturally it has direct consequences for the solutions in the respective country - we'll probably touch upon the social welfare system in one way or another in this episode as well, like we did in the previous ones. Thanks!
Privatisation of prisons... HOW is it different from slavery exactly?
The disproportionately African Americans and people of colour in jail, the long term sentences given to people for marijuana use (currently a felony offense in most states) and the prison for profit aspect of American prisons.
Also maybe you could release a longer edit or version of your movies with no edit as I would appreciate more of these interesting documentaries.
+Jake Cross Have you watched the 30 minute versions that are available on this channel? That's the longest we've got :)
ask them why they have secret torture locations around the country , and why most of the prison workers have minimum education why they don`t hire people educated enough ? why they love punishing prisoners for the smallest thing they do while in prison, why most crimes are punishable by a minimum of 25 years isn`t that exaggeration? thank you for all your videos i really love everyone of them .
+Hm HM (Mr.H) Thanks for your feedback and suggestions! May I ask if what you're stating are facts?
+John Stark yes sir.
What good do mandatory minimums serve outside of the private prison industry? Referencing your previous video on prisons, James Conway called the Scandinavian model "perfect if you have the budget for it," and the biggest money drain in American prisons is the non-violent drug offenders who serve 10-25 years for smoking weed.
I'd like to know how the average American DoC officer feels about the mandatory minimums and the non-violent drug offenders. Could they make their prisons more humane if they were more selective about who they threw in prison?
EDIT: And would they WANT to?
+Thomas Kønig Good one. That's indeed an interesting topic - thanks!
1) How effective are jails and prisons in "rehabilitating" inmates?
2) Why do non-violent offenders serve longer sentences than violent offenders. Please ask judges, prosecutors, lawyers. Is that the correct thing and why?
3) After serving their prison sentence, inmates have a hard time being accepted back into society and cannot find jobs. Does the public really believe in giving them a second chance?
4) Lawmakers who receive financial incentive for pushing laws to punish (arrest and jail) non-violent offenders. Are they ethical/moral? Is it the right thing for society?
5) Do prisons make people (both inmates and workers) more violent?
6) Should prisons take mentally-ill patients as prisoners instead of placing them in mental institutions? Why?
7) Homophobia. The hypocrisy of "heterosexual" inmates who use rape and sexual assault against others of the same gender.
8) Prison Guard PTSD.
and last but not least
9) Can a society be jail-free, albeit without crime? How can we achieve such a society? Details please.
+Augusto Montes Wow, thanks for the many thoughts. If you happen to have more info or links to material concerning one or several of your points, I'd be grateful! Of course we can use Google as well, but it's worth so much more when coming directly from someone.
+John Stark Thank you for the reply. I recommend interviewing Paul Mason, author of Capturing the Media: Prison Discourse in Popular Culture. He's part of the prison abolition movement.
Above all, i would like to know why the United States does not adopt the Nordic justice/penal system because it is better by every conceivable metric: lower crime rates, lower recidivism rates, etc.
There are so many angles the show could take. I'd like to see the show deal with the following issues:
1) Systemic racism, and the disparities in patrolling, arrest rates, conviction and incarceration rates of white vs minority individuals;
2) The death penalty and why it continues despite the fact that 1 out of 20 individuals executed is innocent, why it continues despite the fact that it costs more to execute an individual than to keep them incarcerated;
3) mandatory minimum sentencing, why it continues to exist and how it's destroying black communities.
Take them to Arizona and see tent city. Being outside in 120 degrees, wearing pink underwear, is something they may find a bit shocking.