Denmark’s Storstrøm Prison isn’t your typical high-security prison. Instead of just locking people up, it’s built to actually help inmates get their lives back on track.
The whole place is designed to take care of both their mental and physical well-being while making sure the staff also have a safe, decent place to work.
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Denmark built a prison that looks nothing like a prison
Storstrøm Prison sits near the town of Gundslev, Denmark, and at first glance, you’d never guess it’s a prison. There are no intimidating concrete walls or barbed wire everywhere.
Instead, the place looks like a modern university campus — designed with a clean, minimalist Scandinavian style. It even takes inspiration from a traditional Danish village.
A hundred-million-pound facility designed for rehabilitation
This prison wasn’t cheap. It took five years to build and cost over $127 million. It has room for 250 inmates, and each one gets their own 40-square-foot cell.
But these aren’t the grim, claustrophobic cells you’d imagine. They each have a fridge, a 22-inch TV, a big window, and a wardrobe.
Prison cells are more like dorm rooms
Forget those tiny, depressing cells with metal bars. These rooms are more like small dorms. Each inmate has a comfy bed, a desk with a reading lamp, and — this is a big one — a private bathroom.
They also have access to shared kitchens where they can cook their own meals, plus bright and colorful common areas where they can relax and hang out.
Inmates enjoy access to communal spaces and recreational activities
Life inside Storstrøm isn’t just about being stuck in a cell all day. Inmates can work in on-site workshops and have access to a church, a grocery store, a library, and even a playground for when their families visit.
The entire prison complex is about the size of 18 football fields, so there’s plenty of space. They can take art classes, study, pray, or stay active with football fields, basketball courts, and running tracks.
Architecture plays a key role in rehabilitation efforts
Mads Mandrup, one of the architects from CF Møller, said the design of Storstrøm was meant to help reduce re-offending.
He explained, “We truly believe, and evidently the statistics support us in this, that a hard and less-stimulating environment creates more re-offenders.”
A normal life inside to prepare for a normal life outside
The whole idea behind Storstrøm is to keep life as “normal” as possible so inmates don’t struggle to adjust when they get out.
Most of the prisoners here have committed violent crimes, but instead of throwing them into harsh conditions, the prison tries to prepare them for real life outside.
The thinking is, if they can live in a structured but familiar environment while serving time, they’ll be less likely to go back to crime after they’re released.
Denmark’s re-offending rate is already low
Denmark already has a low re-offending rate — just 27%, compared to about 43% in the US. The hope is that this approach will help keep that number down.
Security remains a priority despite the open environment
Even though it doesn’t look like a regular prison, security is still tight.
The whole facility is under constant surveillance, with hundreds of CCTV cameras, a 20-foot wall, and — of course — the fact that it’s on an island, which naturally makes escaping a lot harder.
The prison is surrounded by nature for a calming effect
One of the most striking things about Storstrøm is its surroundings. Instead of being trapped between bleak concrete walls, inmates can actually look out at open farmland and the Danish countryside.
The big windows in their rooms let in natural light, and there are even sculptures placed around the recreation areas to make the space feel less restrictive.
Architecture alone cannot reduce crime, but it plays a role
Storstrøm’s design is definitely unique, but even Mandrup admitted that architecture alone can’t fix crime. “It would be naive to think that architecture can achieve this alone,” he said.
The real test will be whether the prison’s rehabilitation programs actually work. But the goal is simple — give inmates a real shot at turning their lives around.
