While the American criminal-justice system focuses on detention and punishment—with the largest prison population in the world—Scandinavian countries take a vastly different approach. Denmark’s prison system, for example, emphasizes the “good release.” From the start of a sentence, the state is preparing a convicted person to return to society, equipped with new job and life skills, and perhaps a school degree. To that end, the Danish Prison and Probation Service (DPPS) operates its facilities on a set of principles that includes “normalization, openness, responsibility, and . . . the least possible intervention.” Prison routine is designed to be as close to “normal” life as possible, with inmates doing their own laundry, shopping for food at a prison grocery store, and preparing their own meals. They are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and manage their lives.