Tuesday, September 08, 2026
All Day
Join us for a conversation exploring Norway’s "normality principle," a groundbreaking approach to incarceration that prioritizes humanity and rehabilitation, and learn about ongoing efforts to replicate the model and research its impact through the Scandinavian Prison Project or “Little Scandinavia” at SCI-Chester, a state correctional institution near Philadelphia.
Our panel will discuss how dignified institutional design transforms staff relationships and dedicated post-release support can transform corrections and redefine justice. Speakers include Michael Zaken, DCJ (Western Region Deputy Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections), Morgen Jaco (Deputy Commissioner of Restorative and Transitional Services, Philadelphia Department of Prisons), Stian Estenstad (Director, Network After Imprisonment—Norwegian Red Cross), Steven L. Chanenson, JD (Professor of Law & Faculty Director of the Girard-diCarlo Center, Villanova University), and Kevin Amir Bowman (CEO and Founder, Just Better Men; former resident of “Little Scandanavia” at SCI-Chester).