352 ment to the effect that criminals between the ages of 15 to 18 years could instead of receiving punishment in ordinary institutions (prisons) be placed in specially government approved reformatory institutions. The issue was curbed by Gustaf Fridolf Almquist who demanded that the cell conditions for adults should be put into order prior to the establishment of any juvenile institutions. Further, Almquist feared that the possibility of substitution punishment with reformation for juveniles over 15 years would induce the municipalities to negleet their responsibilities for children of this age and thus shift the associated costs over to the state. Almquist was also on the board of the private agricultural colony Hall which received children (juvenile delinquents) under 15 years. Hall received during the period 1879-1893 financial and administrative support fromthe state. By the mid-1890’s the attitude of Parliament had changed radically to that which prevailed only a few decades previously. A revision of the Penal Code in 1890 conferred further general reductions of punishments on persons under 18 years. Towards the end of the 1890’s a penal law revision was commenced which aimed at providing individualised social treatment of older age groups (i.e. adults) by special preventive measures such as on the one hand the instrument of a conditional sentences and discharges and on the other hand more stringent penalties in the formof harsh living conditions, e.g. hard beds and dark isolation cells. Duringthis phase work was also commenced with the 1902 Reformatory Acts concerning the special treatment of juvenile offenders. The shift in viewpoint, which largely corresponded to developments in Continental Europe, Great Britainand, not least, Sweden’s sister state Norway, could be discussed from both the ideological and the public finance aspects. One was nowmore positive towards the extension of the national administration while at the same time the former and very important differences between central and local power was toned down. Instead ideas were advanced promoting the integration of the private and public to something “national”. The change of viewpoint in the 1890’s concerning the relationship of state and municipality and the central power’s Increased interest in the local communities’ preventive social welfare coincided with a greater openness towards differentiation in penal law according to the accused’s personality and social background. Swedish legislative history lay in line with contemporary developments throughout Europe. The objectives, target groups and means were designed very closely to what was found in the discussions and legislative texts in England, France and Germany. The 1902 Reformatory Acts closely resembled the legislation in Norway 1896 and Denmark 1905. The three Scandinavian countries deviated, however, in procedural respects from the systems in the Western countries generally by placing the functions and powers concerning child and juvenile issues with a child welfare board which in Sweden had a strong localpolitical base rather than with a court. Within the Scandinavian models one
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