Research project Where the light does not reach

Sweden has for decades withstood severe critique for subjecting remand prisoners to isolation. Despite this, the majority of remand prisoners remain isolated today. The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to explore why and how these practices persist.

Remand imprisonment is a coercive measure that entails the liberty deprivation of criminal suspects prior to conviction. While remand imprisonment constitutes an important part of the penal chain, it remains a largely unexplored area within criminology. The absence of research also applies to the Swedish context, which is particularly intriguing in light of what we know about the Swedish remand prison institution and its regime. Sweden has for decades been criticized for subjecting remand prisoners to so-called restrictions in their rights – including their rights to association and communication with other inmates and the outer world – and the isolation that follows from these restrictions. Despite the severity and endurance of the critique against these practices, little has been done to change them. The purpose of the doctoral thesis is to explore why these practices persist and how their resilience can be understood.