Course Syllabus

 

Course Information and Purpose 

‘Open prison’ – does that sound like a contradiction in terms? In Denmark, open prisons are a cornerstone of the prison system and ‘normalizing’ prison conditions are preferred in the Danish social context. In this course, you study crime, crime patterns, basic criminological theory, and criminal justice policy in Scandinavia. 

This course is for the student who is curious about the role of crime in society and the reasoning behind the liberal Scandinavian criminal justice system and / or the student who wants to better their analytical skills.

Learning Objectives

Objectives are that by the end of term, all students, whether with or without prerequisites in the social sciences:

• Understand and are able to explain the flaws of Scandinavian criminal justice systems as well as their advantages and put this in relation to US criminal justice
• Have enhanced their critical thinking towards sources and data
• Have enhanced their critical thinking towards own assumptions and have exercised how to balance theory and rational arguments in relation to emotion and opinion
• Understand and are able to take account of major methodological challenges and pitfalls when analyzing data on criminal justice
• Have worked with basic criminological or legal concepts: Legalization / criminalization / decriminalization, purposes of punishment, intent, recidivism
• Are able to discuss and reflect upon criminological research and criminal policy-making from an analytical (and critical) perspective.
• Have a basic concept of how a (criminal) policy may be developed and put into practice from decision-making over policy design to implementation as well as how these processes affects outcomes

Students with a background in the social sciences, especially criminology, should by the end of term have widened their knowledge with a Scandinavian perspective. As there are no prerequisites for the course, students with a social science background will get the chance to delve deeper into issues through readings. The teacher will aim to bring together students with a background in the social sciences so that they get to discuss these readings with other students. 

 

Faculty

Anne Okkels Birk,  Diploma in Criminology (University of Copenhagen 2007). MA (political science, University of Aarhus, 1997). Since 2007, independent consultant arranging Nordic prison officer conferences (2010, 2013, 2017, 2019) and conducting analytical work relevant to prisons and crime. Member of Danish criminal policy think-tank Forsete. Danish Prison and Probation Service 2001-2006, Ministry of Food 1997-2000. Twitter:  anne_okkels. With DIS from 2008.
Email: aob@dis.dk
Phone: +45 27 39 79 21

 

Readings

Since a lot of materials on Scandinavian Criminology & Criminal Justice are in Scandinavian languages, large parts of the material for class have been written by the teacher. 

Academic and non-academic sources used as basis for Canvas materials:

Andersen & Järvinen (2009). Skadesreduktion i praksis. Behandlingstilbud til opiatmisbrugere i København. SFI - Det Nationale Forskningsinstitut for Velfærd. 09:08. Link: https://www.vive.dk/media/pure/4137/272093Links to an external site.

Caulkins & Nicosia (2010). Addiction and its sciences: what economics can contribute to the addiction sciences. Addiction. 2010 vol. 105 no. 7, pages 1156–1163. 

Christie, N. (1977). Conflict as property. British Journal of Criminology, vol. 17, p. 3-15. 

Danish Prison Officer Association website. 

Dignity, Danish Institute against Torture: Information on solitary confinement.

Gaes & Laskorunsky (2023). The Relationship Between Sentence Length, Time Served, and State Prison Population Levels. Council on CJ, Task Force on Long Sentences. Link: https://counciloncj.foleon.com/tfls/long-sentences-by-the-numbers/the-relationship-between-sentence-length-time-served-and-state-prison-population-levels 

Haller, M. & T. Kolind (2017). Space and ethnic identification in a Danish prison. Punishment & Society, vol. 20, 5: pp. 580-598. 

Johansen, K.S. (2013). Heroinbehandling i Danmark - en undersøgelse af brugere og behandling. KABS Viden. Link:  https://viden.kabs.dk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/kabs_heroinbehandling-dk_elektronisk_5.pd

Justitsministeriets Forskningskontor. Various reports from the Research office of the Danish Ministry of Justice.

Kazemian, L. (2022). Long sentences: an international Perspective. CCJ Task Force on Long Sentences. The Council on Criminal Justice. Link: https://assets.foleon.com/eu-central-1/de-uploads-7e3kk3/41697/international_comparison_-_kazemian.e64a9058586b.pdf 

Kriminalforsorgen (2016). Danish Prison and Probation Service in brief. Brochure.  Kriminalforsorgen. (Latest available official brochure from the Danish Prison and Probation Service).

Kriminalforsorgen (more years). Statistik. Kriminalforsorgen. (Danish prison and probation statistics for more years)

Kriminalpræventive Råd, Det. Various reports and webpages from the Danish Crime Prevention Council.

Langsted, L.B., P. Garde, V. Greve & T. Elholm (2019). Criminal Law in Denmark, fifth edition. Kluwer Law International, Excerpts on intent and on sentencing.

Lippke, G. (2002). Towards a Theory on Prisoners' Rights. Ratio Juris, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 122-145.

Lipsky (1980): Street-level Bureaucracy - Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Service. New York: Russel Sage Foundation. 

Miller (ed.) The Encyclopedia of Theoretical Criminology, First Edition. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Minke, L.K. (2020). Udviklingstendenser under fuldbyrdelse af straf 2002 - 2019. Talk at the 10 year anniversary of the CJ think tank Forsete. [Development trends for the enforcement of sentences 2002-2019)

Møller, K. & M. Hesse (2013). Drug market disruption and systemic violence: Cannabis markets in Copenhagen. European Journal of Criminology 10(2) 206 –221,

Nellis & Barry (2025). A matter of Life. The Score and Impact of Life and Longterm Imprisonment in the United States.  https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/a-matter-of-life-the-scope-and-impact-of-life-and-long-term-imprisonment-in-the-united-states

Olesen, A., 2016. Debt as a Criminal Risk Factor in Denmark. Oñati Socio-legal Series [online], 6 (3), 676-706. Available from: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2783815

Pratt, J. (2008): Scandinavian Exceptionalism in an Era of Penal Excess: Part I: The Nature and Roots of Scandinavian Exceptionalism, The British Journal of Criminology, vol. 48, no. 2, Pages 119–137.

Reiter, K. (2014). Punitive Contrasts: United States versus Denmark — A Socio-Legal Comparison of Two Prison Systems. The Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Annual: Global Perspectives, Vol 6/1: 139-76.

Sawyer & Wagner (2025). Mass Incarceration - The Whole Pie 2025. Prison Policy Initiative Report. Link: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2025.html 

Sinnott-Armstrong & Levy (2011). Chapter 12. Insanity Defenses. In Deigh & Dolinko, eds. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Criminal Law. Oxford University Press.
Online, link:: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID1966313_code587055.pdf?abstractid=1966313&mirid=3 

Statistics of Denmark, http://statbank.dk/statbank5a/default.asp?w=1813 

Straffeloven. Retsinfo.dk [Danish penal code]

Straffuldbyrdelsesloven. Retsinfo.dk [Danish law on the enforcement of sentences]

Winter, S. (2012). Implementation. In Peters & Pierre (2012). The SAGE Handbook of Public Administration. SAGE, pp. 255 – 263.

Academic sources used in their entirety:

Copes, H. (2014). Techniques of Neutralization. In Miller (ed.) The Encyclopedia of Theoretical Criminology, First Edition. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 

Ghandnoosh, Nazgol & Budd, Kristen M. (2024). Incarceration and Crime: A Weak Relationship. Report. The Sentencing Project. Link: https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/incarceration-and-crime-a-weak-relationship/

Mathiesen, T. (2011). Scandinavian exceptionalism in penal matters - reality or wishful thinking? In: J. Dullum & T. Ugelvik, ed. (2011). Penal Exceptionalism? Nordic prison policy and practice. Routledge. 

Nilsson, G. (2019). Towards voluntariness in Swedish rape law. Hyper-medialised group rape cases and the shift in the legal discourse. In: M. B. Heinskou, M. Skilrei & K. Stefansen (2019, eds). Rape in the Nordic Countries, Continuity and Change. Routledge. 

Reiter, Sexton & Sumner (2017). Negotiating Imperfect Humanity in the Danish Penal System. In: Scharff Smith P., Ugelvik T. (eds) Scandinavian Penal History, Culture and Prison Practice. Palgrave Studies in Prisons and Penology. Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Rockwool Foundation Research Unit (2012). Crime rates halved among second-generation immigrants. Newsletter. Retrieved from  https://rockwoolfonden.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Newsletter-January-2012.pdf?download=true    

Rockwool Foundation Research Unit (2014). Crime is contagious. News from the Rockwool Foundation Research Unit. Retrieved from https://rockwoolfonden.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Newsletter-October-2014.pdf?download=true  

Stridbeck, U. & P. A. Granhag (2010). Legal procedures in the Nordic countries and USA: a comparative overview, In Per Anders Granhag (ed.), Forensic Psychology in Context Nordic and international approaches. Willan Publishing. pp 14 – 34.

Aagaard, L. (2014). Chemical Castration of Danish Sex Offenders. Journal of  Bioethical Inquiry, vol. 11, pp. 117–118

Non-academic sources used in their entirety:

BBC World Service (2020). Rulebreakers. A Beautiful Prison. The Documentary. Podcast. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct0x1w 

DR (2018): Giver Skyld Straf? Documentary. Episode 1 of 6 in the series Retten Indefra. [Does guilt mean punisment? Part of the series The Court seen from the Inside]. 

European Monitoring Centre from Drugs and Drug Addiction, EMCDDA Country report Denmark, 2019, retrieved from https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/country-drug-reports/2019/denmark_en  

Josefsson, D. (2015). The Strange Case of Thomas Quick. London: Portobello Books. Pp. 3 – 13. 

Reiter, K., L. Sexton & J. Sumner (2016, Feb 2). Denmark doesn't treat its prisoners like prisoners - and it's good for everyone. The Washington Post. Online, link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/02/02/denmark-doesnt-treat-its-prisoners-like-prisoners-and-its-good-for-everyone/  

ScienceNordic (2016). Despite self-governing, Inuit still suffer social and health problems. News article, link: http://sciencenordic.com/despite-self-governing-inuit-still-suffer-social-and-health-problems

Young, E. (Jan 19, 2017). How Iceland got teens to say no to drugs. The Atlantic. Link: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/01/teens-drugs-iceland/513668/

 

Field Studies

These years, the Danish Prison and Probation Service suffers from lack of staff as well as overcrowding. For that reason, it is unfortunately not possible to go on a visit to an actual Danish prison. Instead, we will have visitors to class and go on a self-guided city tour.  

 

Guest Lecturers

Guests in this course mostly practitioners that can provide students with 'meat' to put on the skeletons of theory.

 

Approach to teaching

The basis for my teaching is a profound devotion to criminology and to stirring others’ curiosity and intellectual growth. This goes both for students with and without prior experience with the subject area. It also goes both for students devoted to a field and students who are struggling to find out where their main interests are. For all students, I am dedicated to developing or honing skills in critical, analytical thinking. I focus especially on awareness of one’s own assumptions and prejudices as well as assessment of sources.

Lessons are often lecture-based, but broken up with questions for reflection or debate. A priority is to obtain a relaxed work climate in class where everybody feels okay with speaking up. This can only be achieved if all participants are respectful towards others’ questions, answers and opinions. If possible in relation to covid-rules, groups set by the instructor for a couple of lessons at a time will be a basis for many of the discussions; these groups are meant to both give students a safe home within the class and provide an opportunity to get to know more people in class. . 

A student may prefer to use some time for reflection before contributing. I still want to hear that student’s thoughts, questions and reflections – for that purpose, a discussion board is set up for contributions after class.

Friends or family visiting a student are welcome to sit in on this class (except for the lesson on sexual assault), but they cannot join field studies.

 

Expectations of the students

Students are expected to:

• • Be willing to take an academic approach to difficult and often emotional subjects; also, be willing to consider arguments and policies that are far from the student's own viewpoints or emotions.
  • Complete preparatory work before class as described in the calendar. 
  • Participate actively during class and field studies with contributions and questions that are relevant to class material and which shows that the student is working or striving to work in an academic way. Students are expected to challenge own viewpoints and assumptions and to strive for nuance and complexity in their work and contributions. 
  • Consider how their contributions affect the overall work climate in class. If a student’s contributions do not have a constructive effect on the overall work and discussion climate in class, the student is expected to discuss this in a constructive way with the teacher.
  • Show respect for and attempt to understand other people’s viewpoints and experiences, whether other students or people encountered during guest lectures and field studies
  • Be punctual for class and field studies.
  • Write the instructor in case of illness or any other absence from class, movie screenings or field studies before the start of the class / event. .

During the course, we will discuss issues and examples of crime and victimization in detail, including sexual assault, and these issues can come up in any lesson as may suicide or institutional restraint. Depictions in text or video may feel very different from the ones students normally meet in e.g. 'true crime', and students should be prepared that some of it may seem more 'real' or shocking than they are used to.

News stories of the day, readings and footage may detail e.g. sexual assault, homicide, torture, institutional restraint and suicide, and this is integrated in the course content. Students are welcome to flag if they'd like a heads-up about planned use of material on these topics. In that case, the teacher will provide the student with a description of what is going to happen in class so that the student is prepared. When it comes to readings with descriptions of violent crime, students can choose to read a version in which the very worst details are left out. For movies, students will be allowed to watch the film in question on their own and send in a reflection. 

Attendance requirements are the same for all classes, but students are welcome to leave the room for some fresh air. 

Evaluation

Evaluation in this course consists of three different elements: written assignments, online preparation for class and active participation in classes and field studies. All three forms of evaluation aim at developing the student's analytical skills and skills in critical thinking; understanding of theory and skills at applying theory; and skills at distinguishing between own opinions or view and knowledge acquired academically. 

 

Grading 

Rubrics are available for all assignments and for participation. Rubrics will be updated at the beginning of the semester.

Assignment	Weight
Crime data assignment  Students first evaluate a crime data source, taking care to identify how data was collected and exercise presenting data in ways to support different opinions.	15%
Group article or podcast on sentencing policy	20%
Group CJ policy assignment Students apply what they have learned about decision making processes and implementation in relation to a specific issue.	20%
Online preparation for classes For most the lessons, students are to prepare through online quizzes and discussion boards. Grading follows a specific scale and is based on whether the student has conducted the online assignments and whether this happened before the deadline.	15%
Participation Students are to participate actively in classes (especially in group discussions) and on field studies; participation must be relevant to class and show that the student endeavours to think in an academic way.	30%
Total	100%

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.

 

Late papers

Late papers are accepted, but there will be a deduction in the grade received.

Policy for students who arrive late to class:

Students who are repeatedly late for class will receive a lower participation grade.

Use of laptops or phones in class

Except during breaks, this class is computer- and phone free. Tablets and computers that lie flat on the table (not distracting other students, but still visible to others) are accepted, but should be used for note-taking or consulting class materials. Students with accomodations and DIS note-takers need to supply the teacher with a letter of accomodation or equivalent from the DIS Academic Support team.

 

Use of AI tools

If a student would like to use AI tools in their work process with assignments, they need to meticulously document their work process. This comprehensive documentation should include brainstorming notes, drafts, research materials, and AI tool prompts along with their outputs. This practice reinforces transparency and ensures that the final work submitted accurately and fairly reflects your understanding. 

Lessons, events and assignments

Each week, students have a module of preparation before class, which includes online readings. The Canvas calendar lists all lessons, events and assignments.   

 

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org