Triplecon

To me, civilian service would have felt like I'm silently approving the system. In my opinion, conscription is not a very efficient way of maintaining an army and civilian service is just an extension of the same system. By choosing total objection I wanted to bring the issues of our system to public discussion and feel like I've accomplished something.

Suomenlinna prison is a so-called open prison, which means that inmates are relatively low-security and moving (mostly) freely in the prison perimeter was permitted within the daily timetable's limitations. Most Finnish prisons are "closed" and correspond more to a layperson's view of a prison.

As for other prisoners' reactions, I never really got anything too negative. Some thought I am fighting windmills, some thought my choice was admirable, but no one was hostile towards me due to my reason of imprisonment. Most seemed to think that I didn't belong in prison, but nevertheless respected me standing up for my beliefs.

We had all kinds of people from sexual criminals to drug dealers and white-collar criminals. My long-time roommate was convicted of a white-collar crime, but the house I lived in also had people with a history of violence and/or sexual crime. There was even a triple murderer in Suomenlinna a few years ago, though I (luckily) wasn't there then.

Military service lasts 165, 225 or 347 days, while civilian service always lasts 347 days. My 173 days were calculated from the last number: the sentence of a total objector equals half of the civilian service left rounded down.

Middle class, I guess. My family has never been too wealthy, but I don't think we're poor either. I am obviously still relatively young and my future isn't dead set yet, but an academic degree is definitely part of my plan. I will finish upper secondary school in a few months and getting a place in a university should be no problem with my study results.