The text is divided into two parts: The idea in the first part is to tell a story of how and why it was possible to reduce the number of prisoners in one country. At the beginning of the 1950s, the prisoner rate in Finland was four times higher than in the other Nordic countries. Finland had almost 200 prisoners per 100.000 inhabitants, while in Sweden and Norway were around 50. Even during the 1970s, Finland’s prisoner rate continued to be among the highest in Western Europe. In the early 70s Finland had some 120 prisoners/100.000 inhabitants, while at the same time in England and Wales were almost half of that. By the beginning of the 1990s Finland had reached the Nordic level of about 70 prisoners per 100.000 inhabitants. The aims in the second part is to give an overview of the role of community sanctions in the present Scandinavian sanction systems.

índice:

I. Introducción.— II. La reducción de la tasa de encarcelamiento: 1. El descenso de la población penitenciaria en Finlandia. 2. Reforma del sistema de penas. 3. Tasa de encarcelamiento y tasa de delincuencia. 4. Explicando los cambios. 5. El mantenimiento de los índices de encarcelamiento: Comparación entre los países escandinavos. 6. La población penitenciaria de los países escandinavos en una comparación internacional: explicando las diferencias.— III. Penas alternativas en los sistemas de penas escandinavos: 1. Coincidencias y diferencias. 2. Un repaso a las penas alternativas en los cuatro países nórdicos. 3. El sistema de penas en Finlandia: 3.1. Las multas. 3.2. La suspensión condicional de la pena de prisión. 3.3. La pena de trabajos en beneficio de la comunidad.— IV. ¿Hay penas alternativas a la prisión?— V. Conclusiones: en contra del punitivismo populista.