Few convicted offenders receive treatment within the Swedish Prison and Probation Service

Reoffending is a major problem in society. One of the most important tasks of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service is therefore to conduct activities aimed at preventing reoffending, for example in the form of treatment programmes.

The audit of the Swedish NAO audit shows that a small proportion of correctional clients in need of treatment programmes are given the possibility to attend one, and an even smaller proportion complete them.

The Swedish Prison and Probation Service’s ambition is for as many individuals as possible, who are at medium or high risk of reoffending, to undergo at least one treatment programme. This applies to approximately 75 per cent of all correctional clients. In 2023, however, only 22 per cent of correctional clients serving a custodial sentence, and 13 per cent serving a non-custodial sentence, completed a treatment programme.

The deficiencies are mainly due to the fact that the activities are undersized. This has been the case for a long time. The increase in the number of convictions and lengths of sentences in recent years has led to overcrowded prisons and over-burdened Probation Service offices, which has aggravated the situation. The Swedish Prison and Probation Service has neither sufficient premises nor trained staff.

“The resources that the Swedish Prison and Probation Service allocates to treatment activities are inadequate and need to be expanded. This also applies to the possibility of remote participation in the treatment programmes,” comments Auditor General Helena Lindberg.

The Swedish Prison and Probation Service has commenced work to increase the number of employees who can conduct treatment programmes, but this takes time. Also, staff turnover among programme managers is high in some cases and it is difficult in many places to recruit new ones.

The Swedish Prison and Probation Service’s treatment programmes are also based on there being a supportive environment, beyond the treatment itself. As things currently stand, with overcrowding, the agency has had difficulty in providing this. There is a risk that this will lead to the treatment programmes failing to be fully effective.

“Security issues are very important, but they must not force aside work on preventing reoffending. The Swedish Prison and Probation Service needs to manage both elements,” explains Jenny Lee, project leader of the audit.

The Swedish NAO further notes that the content of treatment activities is in need of development. For example, there is a need for programmes adapted for women, programmes in languages other than Swedish and the development of existing and new programmes.

This is impeded by the fact that the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, due to legal obstacles, has not been able to map needs among correctional clients. For the same reasons, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service has not been able to perform evaluations of the effects of the treatment programmes.

“The deficiencies identified by the audit imply ineffectiveness. There is a risk of correctional clients in the Swedish Prison and Probation Service not obtaining the help they need, which increases the risk of repeat offending,” explains Helena Lindberg.