Officials with the Swedish Prison and Probation Service had argued that reading
porn would interfere with the man's rehabilitation program. They also said the
magazines posed a security problem for staff and other inmates because they
could increase the risk of the man relapsing into criminal behavior.
But the Supreme Administrative Court in Stockholm, whose ruling last week
cannot be appealed, said the prison service failed to prove that the magazines
could "jeopardize the security of the institution."
Prison officials said they had asked the government to change the law so that
they could continue to ban porn magazines at the Nordic nation's prisons.
"It increases the risk of assault for other inmates and it is provocative for
personnel," Elisabeth Kwarnmark, a prison service psychologist, said in
response to the ruling.
Kwarnmark said that other pornographic material, such as adult movies, channels
and Web sites, is not permitted in Swedish prisons. Child and violent
pornography are also banned.
