Many studies have reported findings regarding technical efficiency (i.e., resource use) for district courts around the world. However, our review of previous research did not find any studies targeting cost efficiency. To fill this gap, this study investigates the cost efficiency of Swedish district courts. We apply the Farrell framework and decompose cost efficiency into allocative and technical efficiency. The study finds substantial cost inefficiency for district courts in Sweden, which is mainly due to allocative inefficiency (i.e., having the wrong input mix or paying too much for inputs). This result is not surprising since, for example, there is regional heterogeneity in input prices (i.e., wages and rents). However, it also reveals the potential of, for example, moving district courts out of city centres and high-priced areas. On the other hand, the location and staffing of district courts serve other competing policy concerns, such as the proximity of citizens to district courts. The cost-efficiency analysis gives information about the cost of these competing policy concerns.

Bulgaria has a long tradition of smallholder farming, predominantly producing for self-consumption. As a result of land reform and farm restructuring, many rural households received agricultural land. Some developed commercial farms but most households stayed as subsistence farmers and used their small pieces of land to produce for self-consumption and market the excess output to top up their non-farm incomes or meagre pensions. They had little capital and insecure access to markets. The paper employs semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 10 smallholders for obtaining detailed information about individuals’ behaviour and exploring issues in greater detail. In particular, the study looks at the drivers of the diverse strategies pursued by smallholder farms, their importance for household food security and incomes, and the prospects of smallholder farms in the future, especially the possibilities for productivity increases. The Bulgarian study on contemporary smallholder farms shows that subsistence production constitutes a valuable safety net for households with low incomes, and therefore, it acts as an extension of the limited social security system of the country. Despite all the challenges faced by smallholders, half of the interviewed households succeeded to commercialise and increase marketable surplus. Policies for increased commercialisation of smallholder farms and a structural change in agriculture should address, besides market factors, the socioeconomic aspects which contribute to the persistence of subsistence farming. Furthermore, when prioritising different policies, the chosen livelihood strategies of the households should be taken into account.

The covid-19 disease has a large impact on life across the globe, and this could potentially include impacts on crime. The present study describes how crime has changed in Sweden during ten weeks after the government started to implement interventions to reduce spread of the disease. Sweden has undertaken smaller interventions than many other countries and is therefore a particularly interesting case to study. The first major interventions in Sweden were implemented in the end of week 11 (March 12th) in the year 2020, and we analyze police reported crimes through week 21 (ending May 24th). Descriptive statistics are provided relative to expected levels with 95% confidence intervals for eight crime types. We find that total crime, assaults, pickpocketing and burglary have decreased significantly, personal robberies and narcotics crime are unchanged. Vandalism possibly increased somewhat but is hard to draw any firm conclusions on. The reductions are fairly small for most crime types, in the 5–20% range, with pickpocketing being the biggest exception noting a 59% drop relative to expected levels.

To date, systematic studies of sexual homicides from Europe are scarce, in which none have been conducted in Sweden. This study aims to describe male-on-female sexual homicides in Sweden and differentiate from corresponding nonsexual homicides. Unsolved and solved sexual homicide (n = 33) cases were identified in a database containing all homicides in Sweden between 1990 and 2013 (N = 2,126), and subsequently data from forensic psychiatric evaluations were collected for convicted offenders. Male-on-female sexual homicides constituted 1.6% of all homicides and the clearance rate was 82%, which is comparable with the 83% overall clearance rate but took longer time to solve. Three factors differentiated sexual from nonsexual homicides: strangulation, younger age of the victim, and the absence of eyewitnesses. In solved cases, distance from the offender's home to the crime scene was strongly correlated with time to clearance. A majority of the offenders suffered from personality disorders, while other diagnoses were uncommon.

ABSTRACTThis study analyzes the demographics, criminality, and network relations of forty-one deceased Swedish foreign fighters. Our results show that most of the deceased Swedish foreign fighters were on average just under 26 years old when they died. Concerning network relations, nineteen out of the forty-one foreign fighters had at least one relationship (next-of-kin or friend) with another deceased foreign fighter. Two thirds were previously suspected of at least one crime. Based on our results, we argue that more attention needs to be given to tertiary and secondary prevention directed toward foreign fighter hubs.

In this study, a survey was used to document the type and amount of training to which 2- to 3-year old Swedish Standardbred horses are generally subjected. Moreover, an experimental study was conducted to examine the ability to achieve conventional performance goals in 16 Standardbred geldings fed a forage-only diet and allocated to either a control training programme (C-group) or a training programme with the high intensity training distance reduced by 30% (R-group) from March as 2-year-olds until December as 3-year-olds. The median distance of high intensity training per week reported by professional trainers was 6,700 m. In experimental horses, planned high intensity training/week was 6,315 and 4,288 m in C-group and R-group, respectively. There was no difference between experimental training groups in ability to race. The proportion of experimental horses that passed a preparation race as 2-year-olds (100%) and qualified for races (94%) was greater (P<0.05) than for the rest of the cohort (77 and 63%), geldings of the same cohort (71 and 45%) and siblings of the experimental horses (84 and 69%). The proportion of horses that raced (56%) was equal to that of the cohort and of siblings (54%), but greater than the proportion of cohort geldings (35%, P<0.05). In experimental horses, total earnings until 7 years of age were correlated to exercise haematocrit as 3-year-olds (r=0.51, P>0.05) and number of races (r=0.55, P>0.05). Race record was correlated to VLa4 as 3-year-olds (r=-0.75, P<0.01). It was concluded that a forage-only diet and shorter distance of high intensity training than commonly used in Standardbred training in Sweden do not appear to restrict ability to qualify for races and race before 4 years of age.

The concept of near-repeat patterns illustrates how crimes are clustered in space and time, with a crime event often shortly followed by another crime nearby. This study aims first to describe the frequency in shootings; second, to analyse the patterns of near-repeat shootings; and third, to validate a near-repeat calculator in the three largest cities in Sweden. Data were geocoded from three registries on shootings administered by the police departments in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo from 2011 to 2015, and were analysed using a free near-repeat calculator. There were 948 shootings, 378 of which involved at least one injury or death (40%). The relative risk of firearm-perpetrated homicides was almost 2.5 times higher in Malmo compared to Stockholm, but almost half of the shootings occurred in Stockholm. Near-repeat patterns were found with a significantly increased risk of a new shooting in all three cities, but were weaker in Gothenburg.

PurposeResearch addressing intimate partner homicide (IPH) across time and gender is lacking. The present study compares rates of IPH and non-intimate partner homicide (non-IPH) over time. Moreover, gender-specific trends of IPH rates and characteristics are examined. MethodsThe study is based on all solved homicides (N=1725) in Sweden between 1990 and 2013. The dataset is an extension of the European Statistical Database on Lethal Violence and holds information from police files, court verdicts and forensic psychiatric reports. ResultsThere has been a significant decrease of IPHs and non-IPHs, although, IPHs remained relatively stable until 2006. While there has been a modest decline in male-perpetrated IPHs, the low rates of female-perpetrated IPHs have remained stable. Male-perpetrated IPHs are gradually less likely to involve alcohol and be preceded by known history of IPV. The majority of female-perpetrated IPHs involved alcohol and history of known IPV, characteristics that remained stable over time. ConclusionsIt is crucial to consider intimate relationships as well as gender in order to gain nuanced insight to trends of homicide rates and characteristics. Our findings demonstrate distinct trends across homicide types, as well as gender-specific rates and characteristics of IPH.

For selected regions of five EU Member States (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia), this paper examines the determinants of the commercialisation of (semi)subsistence farms. While subsistence farming has become an important feature of the EU, there is a lack of evidence on its spatial distribution, importance and reasons for persistence. The analysis utilises cross-regional survey data and qualitative interviews. Results suggest the absence of a subsistence poverty trap driven by either farmer perceptions or transactions costs although capital endowment appears to play a significant part. On the other hand the degree of market engagement depends on access costs, which vary with location, households’ productive assets, specialisation, and risk propensity. Implications for land use policy are discussed.

The caseworkers in public insurance systems possess considerable discretion in terms of making decisions. This creates scope for preferences and attitudes to reflect on initiatives taken during sick leave and on individuals’ return to work. This paper utilizes a unique caseworker–individual data set in the public sickness insurance (SI) in Sweden to analyze the impact of caseworkers’ attitudes towards SI rules and rehabilitation programs promoting individuals’ return to work. We find that a positive attitude towards SI rules increased return to work by 3 %, or 3.5 days, after comparing the 25 % most positive caseworkers with the 25 % least positive. Also, a positive attitude towards existing rehabilitation methods reduced return to work by about 2.5 %, or 3 days.