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Prison of the mind

In Sweden and the Netherlands a mental-health first approach to justice is showing positive results in keeping reoffending rates down.

In many countries around the world, prison populations are bursting at the seams. However, in some Northern European countries, prisons are closing and re-offending rates are down, which many have attributed to a novel approach to justice - taking a mental-health first approach. Jenny Okolo, a forensic occupational therapist, seeks to determine whether global prison systems could benefit from a similar approach and whether the solution is as simple as it seems.

Presenter: Jenny Okolo
Producer: Ray Sang and James Tindale
Editor: Phil Smith
A Reduced Listening production for 大象传媒 World Service

(Photo: An inmate at Rodjan farm, an open prison functioning as a farm in the city of Mariestad, 300km south-west of Stockholm. Credit: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images)

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23 minutes

Last on

Mon 27 Jan 2025 03:06GMT

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  • Tue 21 Jan 2025 08:06GMT
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  • Mon 27 Jan 2025 03:06GMT