Norway's
criminal justice
Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...
system focuses on the principles of
restorative justice and the
rehabilitation of
prisoner
A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...
s. Correctional facilities in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
focus on maintaining custody of the offender and attempting to make them a functioning member of society. Norway's laws forbid the use of
torture
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. definitions of tortur ...
and other cruel,
inhuman, or degrading treatment
Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (CIDT) is treatment of persons which is contrary to human rights or dignity, but is not classified as torture. It is forbidden by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 3 of the European Convention ...
as punishment. Prison conditions typically meet international standards, and the government permits visits by any human rights observers. The system is considered to be transparent, and prisoners are represented by an
ombudsman, an official appointed to investigate individuals’ complaints against public authority.
Norway has one of the lowest
recidivism rates in the world; in 2016, only 20% of inmates re-offended within 5 years. The country also has one of the lowest overall crime rates on Earth.
Norway's prison system houses approximately three thousand offenders.
Norway's prison system is renowned as one of the most effective and humane in the world. Norway does not instate
capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
or
life imprisonment. The maximum custodial sentence is 21 years (30 for crimes against humanity and only life imprisonment for military crimes);
[ however, at the end of the initial prison term the courts have the power to add five-year increments to the prisoner’s sentence every five years, indefinitely, if it is determined the prisoner is not rehabilitated.
]
History
Before the introduction of the rehabilitative justice system, Norway had a punitive justice system. By 1968, Norwegians had become dissatisfied with the harsh living conditions of the correctional system, and the Norwegian Association for Criminal Reform (KROM) was formed. KROM altered the penal system, which largely depended on the medical treatment of offenders; at that time, prisoners were being treated medically, and, depending on the success of the treatment, were incarcerated for an appropriate term. KROM's first substantive change to Norwegian penology
Penology (from "penal", Latin '' poena'', "punishment" and the Greek suffix '' -logia'', "study of") is a sub-component of criminology that deals with the philosophy and practice of various societies in their attempts to repress criminal activiti ...
occurred in 1970, with the abolition of forced labor
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
. In 1975, juvenile delinquency centres were abolished. Reforms in the early 1990s focused much more on rehabilitation.
Prison system
Penalties in society
Norway's criminal justice protocol is often referred to as the “Norwegian model”, though Norway prefers to use "alternative penalties" or “penalties in society”. "Penalties in prison" is also used.
"Penalties in society" means the offender will serve at least some of their time out of jail, and will have to meet with an official a specified number of times as ordered by the court. In return, an individual can stay out of prison if they follow the court's rules. In most cases, criminals retain their current employment, or the court orders employment, and they may remain with their families and continue their normal life. Penalties in society are only imposed if there is no burden on the victims, their families, or society.
Community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...
is the most common penalty in society. It is measured in hours, and not days, months, or years. Approximately 2,500 people per year are sentenced to this form of punishment, and hours can range from 30 to 70. The average duration given is around 70 hours, and should be completed in under a year. Community service is usually spent in social work. The individual spends their time in churches, schools, kindergartens, volunteer organizations, and social organizations.
Community service may include “change programs”, treatment, special conversations, and other programs. The correctional system has a right to add other conditions, like prohibition of drug or alcohol use, outside of court orders. The correctional system will draw up an “implementation plan” under the guidelines of the court order. It can then add programs or conditions as it sees fit.
Electronic monitoring or electronic control is one of the most applied methods of penalties in society. An electronic ankle GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
tracker is issued to monitor the individual, though it can only be used in the last four months of probation or imprisonment, and the individual must be qualified to wear one.
Anti-doping programs are also included in correctional programs. These are court ordered alternative programs for offenders who would otherwise be unconditionally imprisoned, and are often imposed for driving under the influence of drugs, of for the use of illegal drugs. A drug program with judicial review is another alternative to unconditional imprisonment for drug and alcohol addicts. Crimes that can get the offender into this program are anything drug related, including crimes to fund the addiction such as theft.
Penalty in prison
there were 43 prisons in Norway, five of which are strictly female, and all prisons are driven by the “import model”. In the import model, services are given to inmates just as to those not incarcerated (i.e. health services, education, access to a library, etc).
The longest sentence allowed in a Norwegian prison is 21 years, although a new penal code allows for a 30 year maximum sentence for crimes related to genocide
Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Lat ...
, crimes against humanity, or war crimes. Additionally, sentences may be extended if a court rules that the inmate still poses a danger to society. The average sentence is about 8 months.
The intent of punishment in Norway is solely the restriction of liberty; no other rights are taken away. An offender in prison has the same rights as an ordinary citizen, including the right to vote. Prison authorities try to place offenders in the lowest security regime commensurate with the inmate's needs. Often, an individual will proceed towards release starting from a high security prison and moving to a lower security prison, then through a halfway house
A halfway house is an institute for people with criminal backgrounds or substance use disorder problems to learn (or relearn) the necessary skills to re-integrate into society and better support and care for themselves.
As well as serving as a ...
, and eventually released to the community.
When inmates are not at work, school, or in recreational activities, they are with correctional officers and/or in their cells. Inmates have their cells searched once a day, and are granted very few pre-approved personal items. Urine samples are collected, usually targeted at random within the population of inmates who have a known history of drug addiction
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use oft ...
.
There are three levels to the Norwegian prison system: High Security (closed prisons), Lower Security (open prisons) and Transitional Housing. The majority of prisons in Norway (60%) are closed; these facilities have walls and fences around the compound, and inmates are locked in and under the control of corrections officer
A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...
s. Open prisons only lock inmates in their cells, houses, or rooms at night; the prison campus is open, but inmates cannot leave. Calls are intercepted, but phone use is permitted. Open prisons encourage contact with the community through safe means (i.e. visitation, furlough, and other adaptations). Transitional housing is used when part of a sentence is completed; the prisoners remain in the prison system, but control over them is less strict. Transfer to transitional housing has to be pre-approved for the safety of the community. Transitional housing gradually returns inmates to society with social training and professional training. It sets up an inmate with a network to use once they are released back into society.
Prison officers
Those that work in Norwegian prisons are referred to as officers rather than guards. They have referred to themselves as role models, coaches and mentors to the prisoners. Training to become a prison officer has been cited as taking between two and three years of training. Training has been stated to involve "written exams in Norwegian and English ... physical fitness tests, law, ethics, criminology, English, reintegration and social work".
Prison population
According to the World Prison Brief website, Norway has 2,932 people within their 58 different institutions as of 2020. Of those, 26% are remand prisoners or are in jail awaiting trial. Only about 0.1% of Norway's prisoners are juveniles, and about 6% are female. Approximately 26% of inmates are foreign-born.
Norway's prisons currently operate below their official capacity of 4,092 people. Between the year 2000 and 2016, the prison population increased, after which it decreased again. As of 2000, about 2,500 people were incarcerated in Norwegian prisons. By 2008, this had increased to about 3,400, and in 2016, the population was 3,850. In 2020 this dropped to 2,932 persons. This corresponded to a prison population rate in 2020 of 54 per 100,000 people.
See also
* Norwegian Correctional Service
References
External links
What makes Norway’s criminal justice system different to other countries?
The Local. Published 29 April 2021.
How Norway Is Teaching America To Make Its Prisons More Humane
HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
. Published 22 August 2019.
I toured prisons around the world — and the system that seems the most relaxed is also one that works
Business Insider
''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German pub ...
. Published 19 July 2018.
Is this a 'luxury prison'?
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
. 5 March 2018.
Not the worst, but not Norway: US prisons vs. other models
HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
. Published 6 September 2017.
Why Norway's prison system is so successful
TheJournal.ie
''TheJournal.ie'' is an internet publication in Ireland. It was a mixture of original and aggregated content, before moving to entirely original content. The website was founded in early 2010.
It was edited by Jennifer O'Connell in 2010–2011, ...
. Published 13 December 2014.
Bastoy: the Norwegian prison that works
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
. Published 4 September 2013.
The Norwegian prison where inmates are treated like people
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
. Published 25 February 2013.
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Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
Penal system in Norway
Positive criminology