Penal Systems Network

A comparative map of penal systems—Penal Systems Network links countries by shared sentencing practices to highlight patterns across legal frameworks.

Penal Systems Network maps similarities and differences in national penal systems by linking countries through shared legal mechanisms such as the death penalty, parole, and life imprisonment.

Penal Systems Network is a relational map of controversial penal practices worldwide. Constitutions across various countries were analyzed for their sentencing structures, and countries are linked when they share legal mechanisms—such as the death penalty, life imprisonment, parole, indefinite sentences, or amnesty. The resulting force-directed graph clusters similar regimes and pushes outliers to the edges, making global patterns of punishment instantly visible.

Commissioned by Henie-Onstad Kunstsenter in Oslo for the exhibition “We Are Living On a Star,” January 30–April 27, 2014.