Sweden Prison Records

Europe Sweden

Prison Records [Straffanstaltslängder]
Research use: Swedish church books and clerical surveys often note that persons, male or female, young and old, are gone to a correctional institution. Prison records give place of origin, date and place of birth. When church records indicate a person was sentenced to prison, the prison records are the only source from which a researcher can determine what happened to the person from then on. Early prisoner records in the 1700s cover gaps in parish registers.

Record type: Records of all prisoners in Sweden. In earlier times, many persons were sent to prison for very minor offenses.

Time period: 1750 to present.

Contents: Date of record, name of prisoner, birthplace, birth date, names of family members and relationship, marital status, former occupations, recent residence, name of court which sentenced him, name of prison, prison terms imposed, date term began and ended, when released or transferred to another prison, future residence when released, and date of death if died in prison.

Location: National Archives [Riksarkivet], Stockholm, Sweden and each provincial archive [Landsarkivet].

Population coverage: 10%.

Reliability: Very good.