– In the prison service, we have not had any loose weights for over 15 years. The weight packages were then also reduced so that they have been blocked to 50 kg. We have said that we should not engage in one-sided muscle training, says Roger Andersson, Chief of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service at Karlskogaanstalten.
Now the institution has also removed the opportunity to only train strength and instead focused on exercise, which has caused several inmates in Karlskoga to react. More than ten JO reports have been received, which points to the disappointment over the institution’s new investment in fitness gyms.
In several of the reports, the inmates write that they feel that they must not become too muscular.
“What we have heard from the Swedish Prison and Probation Service inspector here is that it is a central decision within the Swedish Prison and Probation Service that they do not want us to be too big and strong.”
In the clip above, you can hear the head of the prison service Roger Andersson talk about why you prefer to invest in a gym.