Swedish prison inmates complain of 'hard, uncomfortable loo paper'

Rough Justice: Inmates at Salberta prison have complained about the "poor quality" toilet paper
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Jessica Morgan18 August 2017

Inmates at a Swedish prison have complained that the toilet paper provided to them is too hard.

Convicts at Salberga’s maxiumum security prison near Vesteras, Sweden, wrote to the Swedish Justice Ombudsman because they were unhappy with the “poor quality” loo roll.

The inmates, who have been convicted of serious crimes, are fed up of using “hard, inconvenient and single rolled” toilet paper.

The prisoners are also unhappy that they have been limited to two rolls a week, after long being able to help themselves from a cupboard.

They now claim they are getting less – and lower quality – and said prison guards have told them they “simply had to poo less”.

They wrote: “As a prisoner you have to eat the food that’s offered…this in combination with stress, worry and more affects the normal function of the stomach, which in turn can lead to an increased need for visits to the toilet and paper.”

This is not the first time Salberga inmates report the prison to the Justice Ombudsman.

Last year they complained of under-stimulation, saying they wanted access to more activities that had been promised, including Christmas card making, guitar lessons, painting classes and beadwork.

But the ombudsman found the facility’s response to be satisfactory as it explained refurbishments at the time impacted the range of leisure activities they could offer.

Prisoners at Salberga have access to a gym and a sauna and are allowed to mix with one another, cook for themselves and do their own laundry.

The prison facilities is in stark contrast to other maximum securities around the global, where inmates are often segregated and confined for large portions of the day.

Sweden has a reputation for focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment in its prison system.

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