Crime Prevention Policy at a Crossroad – Sweden 1990-2019

Glenn Svedin, Mid Sweden University

During the last years, there has been a lively debate concerning crime rates in Sweden. Views have been presented of a society severely stricken by violence, rapes and murders, a development closely connected with societal changes and an increase in immigration. This debate started, in fact, already in the early 1990’s. During a period when Swedish society overall has become much safier than before, the crime prevention policy has evolved in a more punitive direction. This paper analyzes the perceptions put forward in the public discussion, as well as the crime prevention policy in Sweden from the 1990’s. In the paper, the development of the crime prevention policy in Sweden are compared with developments in other Western countries.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 210. Law, Incarceration and Punishment