From the art museum in Stadsparken in Kalmar, it is just over 250 meters to the centrally located institution dating from 1852.
In a few years, the 77 places behind the walls along Systraströmmen will be replaced by a new giant institution south of the city, where the government wants to make room for up to 1,000 inmates, which would make it the largest in the country.
The government is talking about a historic overhaul of criminal policy. The changes, and the underlying crime, have been widely discussed. But we lacked the inmates' perspective from inside the prison, says Jonas Holmberg.
Prison art
The exhibition "The Last Punishment" features works by artists with their own experiences of time in prison. Isaac Grünewald's 100-year-old self-portrait from his cell at Långholmen meets American Jesse Krimes's monumental patchwork, in which sheets were used as canvases and smuggled out of the prison piece by piece over several years.
Centralverket is a sculpture of a city with gleaming white towers created by six anonymous inmates at Kalmar prison together with artist Magnus Bärtås.
Towers are both a means of monitoring and a symbol of extreme ambition and hubris, says Holmberg, who praises the inmates' wealth of ideas.
“Better out”
What kind of reactions have you received from the inmates?
Very positive. At a workshop, Magnus asked if they wanted to take a break. One of them replied, 'This is what the break is for - a gap for creativity and a place to think about other things.'
The prison service's vision, "Better Out", is that inmates will leave the institution better equipped for a life without crime. At the same time, the agency is heavily burdened by growing pains and overcrowding.
It is difficult to have enough resources to conduct constructive activities. But after all, it is ultimately about the inmates. How do we make it “Better”? It is a huge concern for all of us.
Where: Kalmar Art Museum
When: February 7–May 24, 2026
What: Group exhibition with art by Isaac Grünewald, Jesse Krimes, Petronella Petander and inmates at the Kalmar prison under the direction of artist Magnus Bärtås.
Mobile versions of the exhibition will be shown during the autumn to inmates and staff at other institutions, and to the public in several cities.
