Dr. Carina Gallo Receives SF State Presidential Award

Congratulations to Dr. Carina Gallo, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, for receiving the San Francisco State University’s Presidential Award! Awardees are granted one semester leave with full pay to undertake research (Spring 2021).

Dr. Gallo will collect data for a research project on Gruvberget in Sweden; an open correctional institution that provides recreation and vacation for incarcerated people. Gruvberget was founded in 1972 and can be considered an “exceptional” prison because it reflected an ideal where incarcerated people, like other members of society, had rights to recreation and vacation. Gruvberget consists of small houses nestled within a pristine natural setting close to forests and lakes. Incarcerated people can apply for temporary two-week placement at the institution to participate in courses focused on sports, parenting, fishing, etc. Despite significant changes in Swedish politics, where welfare policy has become more restrictive and penal policy, to some degree, more punitive, Gruvberget still exists today. This project will add to the literature by providing a rich analysis of Gruvberget in a changing landscape of crime policy in Sweden. The project is significant, not only because it fills a gap in research and can undo myths about policies in the Nordic countries, but it can also be used to improve crime policies in the United States. California’s correctional system needs reform and innovative alternatives to current strategies. The establishment of Gruvberget serves as an example of an extremely rehabilitative-oriented policy.