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IN NORWAY, FEWER than 4,000 of the country’s 5 million people were behind bars as of August 2014.
That makes Norway’s incarceration rate just 75 per 100,000 people, compared to 707 people for every 100,000 people in the US.
(Just as a point of comparison, Ireland’s rate is around 83 per 100,000).
On top of that, when criminals in Norway leave prison, they stay out. It has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world at 20%. The US has one of the highest: 76.6% of prisoners are re-arrested within five years.
Norway also has a relatively low level of crime compared to the US, according to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The majority of crimes reported to police there are theft-related incidents, and violent crime is mostly confined to areas with drug trafficking and gang problems.
Based on that information, it’s safe to assume Norway’s criminal justice system is doing something right. Few citizens there go to prison, and those who do usually go only once. So how does Norway accomplish this feat? The country relies on a concept called restorative justice, which aims to repair the harm caused by crime rather than punish people. This system focuses on rehabilitating prisoners.
Take a look at Halden Prison, and you’ll see what we mean. The 75-acre facility maintains as much “normalcy” as possible. That means no bars on the windows, kitchens fully equipped with sharp objects, and friendships between guards and inmates. For Norway, removing people’s freedom is enough of a punishment.
Like many prisons, Halden seeks to prepare inmates for life on the outside with vocational programmes: wood-working, assembly workshops, and even a recording studio.
Halden isn’t an anomaly either. Bastoy prison is also quite nice.
As Bastoy prisoner governor Arne Wilson, also a clinical psychologist, explained to The Guardian:
In closed prisons we keep them locked up for some years and then let them back out, not having had any real responsibility for working or cooking. In the law, being sent to prison is nothing to do with putting you in a terrible prison to make you suffer.The punishment is that you lose your freedom. If we treat people like animals when they are in prison they are likely to behave like animals. Here we pay attention to you as human beings.
All of these characteristics are starkly different from America’s system. When a retired warden from New York visited Halden, he could barely believe the accommodation. “This is prison utopia,” he said in a documentary about his trip. “I don’t think you can go any more liberal — other than giving the inmates the keys.”
In general, prison should have five goals, as described by criminologist Bob Cameron: retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, restoration, and rehabilitation. In his words though, “Americans want their prisoners punished first and rehabilitated second.”
Norway adopts a less punitive approach than the US and focuses on making sure prisoners don’t come back. A 2007 report on recidivism released by the US Department of Justice found that strict incarceration actually increases offender recidivism, while facilities that incorporate “cognitive-behavioral programs rooted in social learning theory” are the most effective at keeping ex-cons out of jail.
The maximum life sentence in Norway shows just how serious the country is about its unique approach. With few exceptions (for genocide and war crimes mostly), judges can only sentence criminals to a maximum of 21 years. At the end of the initial term, however, five-year increments can be added onto to the prisoner’s sentence every five years, indefinitely, if the system determines he or she isn’t rehabilitated.
That’s why Norwegian extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting, was only sentenced to 21 years. Most of the outrage and incredulity over that sentence, however, came from the US.
Overall, Norwegians, even some parents who lost children in the attack, seemed satisfied with the sentence. Still, Breivik’s sentence, as is, put him behind bars for less than 100 days for every life he took, as The Atlantic noted. On the other hand, if the system doesn’t determine Breivik “rehabilitated,” he could stay in prison forever.
To those working within Norway’s prison system, the short sentences and somewhat luxurious accommodations make complete sense. As Are Hoidel, Halden Prison’s director, puts it:
Every inmate in Norwegian prison is going back to the society. Do you want people who are angry — or people who are rehabilitated?
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Irelands prison system is more like ctch and release how can criminals here have 60 to 80 previous convictions???
So 83 per 100000 of us haven’t paid our tv licence. That really to only way to go to prison in this country.
You don’t get locked up for not having a TV licence .. You get locked up for not paying the fine you get !
He there is some major dysfunction in our justice system! It’s needs something done ASAP
Well, we have a great example in the Norwegian system, which is more lenient and rehabilitative than ours, but then their recidivism rate is dramatically lower than ours.
So if we want to cut the number of crimes and the number of victims, then we know how to do it by learning from them. If we want to continue with a punishing but not rehabilitative approach that leads to more crime and more victims, then we just keep on as we are going or get even more severe, like the US – who to me do not seem to be sorting out their violent society by locking up a huge proportion of their population in harsh conditions – they have an extremely high recidivism rate.
They might have a low amount of prisoners but they have LEGAL dog brothels so their government should be in those prisons along with the other inmates!
Prison life is a reflection (imo) on what happens outside..I wonder does Norway have the drug problems we do, does Norway have the sense of entitlement we do, does Norway have the unemployment rates in certain areas that we do. All these problems on the outside have a huge bearing on rehabilitation on the inside..
Totally agree. This article suggests that this prison system applied in any country try would create universal utopia. However, the standard of living in Norway is high, it is a wealthy country with excellent education.
ie. Does Norway have the scrotes that we have ?
Norway have as much if not more people with drugs problem than Ireland. One Norwegian friend of mine living in Norway is an ex heroin addict, and he told me stories of how the Norwegian government had turned their backs to drug addicts, he was lucky to have a caring family. He is now a proud father of 3 with a very good job and clean for over 15 years, I have seen a lot of Junkies on the streets of Oslo and a few homeless as well, and they have all the oil and all the money they could ask for, their road conditions are the worst in Europe too, Sweden and Finland have the same weather and far better roads. Norway is not perfect, as the 2000 registered Norwegians living in Ireland vs the 700 registered Irish living in Norway.
We need to be more patriotic and believe more in our country and stop putting ourselves down by comparing the good from other countries, see the big pictures
yes Juan see the big picture ,but start at the beginning not in the middle or end…
You’re right shane, but I’m just answering your questions, I’m not saying that they are full of shite, you said that prison life is a reflexion of what happens outside, then you asked if Norway has the same drug problems as we do, I answered you question, yes, they do.
You asked if Norway have the sense of entitlement we do. They have it, and more than us, both domestically and with foreign policy, Norwegians think that the rest of the world is crumbling and that Norway is that paradise where you get to live in peace with all their oil money used wisely, they see the rest of Europe as lesser people. Is like an European version of an Southern American Patriot.
Unemployment there is less than 4%, but we had similar numbers back in the celtic years.
A Norwegian worker would have the same disposable income than an Irish worker
“Norway have as much if not more people with drugs problem than Ireland.”
Yet you only backed this up with anecdotal evidence: “my friend says….” Wow, great stats!
Fair enough Juan but it’s pointless spending money on rehab if you don’t have follow up in the community . The services here are overstreched and therefore the chance of staying clean and not reoffending is slim ,the systems have to be in place to make this work if there not in place then it’s a waste. We don’t have them in place.
Perhaps yes Norwegians do expect to be treated with respect by the state, even when they are offenders. Irish people (perhaps it is our colonial past) do seem to accept punishing state systems (our recent history of abuse of children and vulnerable adults speaks volumes in this respect).
I do feel that there is a view in Irish society that human nature is somehow different here – we are worse people than other people – that’s sad. The evidence for the effectiveness of the Norwegian system has nothing to do with the nature of Norwegian offenders – it is clear from looking at different criminal justice systems what works with human beings – but perhaps countries that have more of a notion of human rights and respect for citizens do tend more to look to logical and humane solutions to their problems than to more a more punishing and vengeful approach.
Wanting authoritarian and punishing state systems seems to be within the Irish psyche. However, seeking a criminal justice system more like the US does not seem to me to be the way to go – citizens do not have human rights there and there system simply does not work. Time to do something that works perhaps?
We were on Holidays in south England where Young Offenders run a cafe in Verne Fort , these were young men who were studying their NVQs (Fectac 3) qualifications . The Young man who served us was finishing up a course in pastry chefing. he was hoping to get work when he finished his sentence. It was the best cheesecake I had in ages. He had some hope of a better future.
There is also an amazing view of Portland and Weymouth from the top of the hill which we trekked up to.
That view of Weymouth is beautiful and would compliment any cheesecake.
All this sense and evidence won’t change anyone’s mind here. Too many people prefer to have their own need for retribution satisfied rather than problems solved and rehabilitation increased
Personally, I think if you commit a crime you deserve to be punished. If someone, God forbid, killed or raped a member of your family, wouldn’t you feel cheated if they were sent off to a holiday camp at your expense, given good food, shelter, security, leisure activities and a comfortable bed rather than dangling at the end of a rope?
If you had a family member who was raped or murdered, would you like the perpetrator enjoying the life of reilly in a holiday camp?
I’m sure I would want them to suffer pain 24 hours a day. But a criminal justice system doesn’t operate based purely on the wishes of victim’s families. Society needs to rehabilitate so that there will be less future victims and less future criminals. You only need to look at the War on Drugs in the US to see how criminal justice policies can destroy communities and continue the cycle of crime
True, it’s important to try reduce the crime levels, but they will escape justice. This type of system is ok for people who commit minor crimes, but for rapists and drug dealers society is just better off without them, the only thing they would be fit for is human experimentation.
After our house was burgled I thought some very dark thoughts about the people who did it. I’m glad I wasnt in the house at the time. Justice is not about revenge.
The thing about restorative sytems is they are about action and consequence. Some young men see going to prison as a badge of honour or a rite of passage. They often learn too late that it limits their prospects.
If prison was an effective deterrent to crime then the US would have one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Theres also the powerful private prison industry lobby in the US .
I’d rather see the
edit : I’d rather see the people who burlgeld my house rehabilitated and doing something more useful with their lives. Prison institutionalizes people it becomes a cycles of committing a crime , going to prision over and over angain. Its an awful waste of human potential.
They probably have a low prision rate because they didnt put 1000 in prison for no tv licence. One things is for sure our way isn’t working so we should be open to trying new things.
Just asking Peter, what do you think our way is..?
Locking people in prisions that are over crowded which strip your dignity when you’ve to releieve yourself in pot in front of two other men for years on end. Putting people in a place where slashing someone’s face is dealt with within the prison and not the court room breading more violence. Accepting and allowing a flow of drugs in and out in order to keep peace instead of out right stopping it and having a proper rehabilitation programs. That would be out way in a nutshell.
Cork is the last prison slopping out and the new prison is way ahead of time. Slashing someone’s face is dealth with by the property authorities but because of the nature of the place of incident (reluctance of others to give evidence etc) it’s harder to get conviction on the seldom time it happens, and the free flow of drugs is widely over stated and when drugs do get in it’s normally “internal packages” which brings a whole different issue in relation to searching,isolation and the smugglers human rights.
The Scandinavian model works for Scandinavians. We AREN’T Scandinavian. Our culture is completely different. The Left wing extremists would be only delighted to see our already lenient/non existent justice system turn into a holiday camp for criminals. Also, there incarsceration rate is so low because it is a well know fact that left leaning systems are generally not interested in criminal justice, whereas the USA actually put murderers in jail FOR LIFE.
Of course, the left wing media are only too happy to promote such a nonsensical idea as trying to rehabilitate murderers.
I see you have a horn for all things ‘Left Wing’. Goes hand in hand with poorly thought out, short sighted and unintelligent comments.
It’s a constant source of amazement to me that people get labelled as ‘left’ or ‘right’. I am completely in agreement with the Norwegian prison approach, but want far less government spending, and/or general involvement in my life. Does that make me left or right?
Jim – the only correct thing you typed is that we’re not Scandinavian. Thanks.
I have a “horn” for all extremist left or right things. Interestingly, it is 90/10 Left/Right on this site. You would have to be dense not to see it.
How could you agree with a murderer getting 2 years jailtime? Absolute madness
Judges sit and listen to all the evidence and circumstances. To be fair, they rarely get it wrong. Most of the outrageous responses people come out with are borne out of ignorance of the full picture.
No shit. Judges are only interpreters of the legal system.
@Jimminy BillyBob I have been in Norway a few times for my business, I have friends there, you have a point buy is the contest of how you say it that makes your very narrow like minded with no back up.
Norway has a conservative head of state, most people in Norway are conservatives, but being conservative in Norway is not the same as being conservative in Ireland, Norway is anti-EU and quite socialist and their core foundations are backed up by people from all major political backgrounds.
Olso has a problem with Homelessness and Junkies, linked together, they are another culture, true, but don’t put them on a pedestal either.
Is this another Ireland are looking at cos god knows we can’t come up with our own systems, pretty much how we do things “just do what Finland or Norway do, but only if Germany let us” bring on the red thumbs of denial
Every single system of governance keeps abreast of best practice the world over – it is not just Ireland that does this – we can all learn from each other…
Rehabilitation is all well and good it what about deterrence and actually punishing people for their crimes?
Did you even read the article?
I did actually. I just know that if someone murdered one of my kids I’d want them thrown into a hellhole for life. Not some holiday camp where focus is on making them feel better about themselves and then letting them walk free when they have convinced some board of lefties that they are ‘better’. Where is the focus on the victim of crime in all this?
As the article stated, relatives of Anders Breivik’s victims were happy with his sentence (the only Norwegian murderer Ive heard of) so their justice system seems to work for the victims too
If it works for them fair enough. I wouldn’t want to see our prisons made any softer than they already are.
Restorative justice involves the victim/family of the victim and the criminal coming face to face in order for them both to deal with what has happened, and to put a real person to both sides of the crime. This has proven to make people less likely to reoffend. That involves the victim, doesn’t it?
Norway wasn’t always this way. There’s a very good film (can’t remember the name) based on true events about the cruelty and abuse of young offenders on Bastoy prison island. Eventually the kids rebelled and drove off their gaolers and the island had to be retaken by the Norwegian Navy in a warship. They’ve learned the hard way that the worse the prison system, the more recidivism. Check out Russian penal colonies and hire the hard way only needs harder criminals
Paul – nowhere was always this way!
But, Norway now has an excellent prison service. And we – and many other countries – have awful ones.
Should we not just learn from their success?
Russian prisons are the best should be a place your scared to go to.
Our sentences are way too short.It takes a lot of time to rehabilitate someone,and then you have the lost causes,beyond rehabilitation.
Let us all recall our very own Brehon Law system that existed before the Roman/British take over.
We had no jails, little crime and all was based on honour.
We were the envy of the world back then. but now look at us.
“The Brehon Law Academy aims to rekindle a common interest in the laws and customs of early Ireland. ”
Very good article but would have been even better if it was compared to Ireland not America
No
Crime rate way higher in norway 4 time higher than ireland so don’t know how this article makes sense proof in the pudding
Anyone ever consider that maybe Norway just has a really really good propaganda machine and the country itself is actually terrible? Think about it. Do you know anyone who’s ever been to Norway? Why aren’t people emigrating there in their droves?
Realistically, you want to make prison a place people REALLY dont want to go. What’s stopping people from committing crimes if the consequence is going to a ‘rehabilitation centre’ like the ones in Norway. Doesn’t make much sense to me. (Unless the criminal has a serious mental illness then of course he/she should go to a psychiatric hospital and be treated for their illness.)
Yeah, because it’s really detering people in the US. Did you read the article? Silly billy.
It does deter a lot of people Dog. It doesn’t deter people who live in food poverty in poor neighbourhoods.
The problem is, middle and working class people don’t understand the motivations of the underclass, so they won’t go for something even if it’s deemed best practice, they’ll go with what they think works for them. Most can’t understand that some people don’t mind prison.
Breivik: Gladio redux.
Billions and billions spent on rehabilitation! Hahahahhaha! It’s so laughable. The cheapest way to deal with sc0m is to get rid of them! Gas or lethal injection whichever suits
Does a sex offender or a murderer deserve a second chance at life after their prison term? Most would say no. Punishment or rehabilitation?
At cost to the tax payer of nearly 100k per annum per prisoner! I can think of far cheaper and more effective ways of dealing with low life prisoners!
Language barrier probably.
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