Wednesday, June 04, 2025
Finland and Minnesota
Aside from the obvious sovereignty distinction, Minnesota and Finland have a lot in common:
-- Both have a population of about 5.7 million people
-- Helsinki's population is about the same as Minneapolis/St. Paul
-- The climate is similar and both enjoy the northern lights
-- Lotsa Lutherans!
-- Both enjoy strong economies with a high standard of living
-- Both border hostile territories infested with badgers
If I were to go study a criminal justice system, it would be Finland's. At the same time we Americans chose to rachet up incarceration (the 1980's-90's) they chose the opposite-- and we both ended up with lower crime. I want to know more about how they got to less incarceration and less crime at the same time.
