An American Warden Visited A Norwegian Prison, And He Couldn't Believe What He Saw

a reply to: Serdgiam

Yes mate, exactly. Glad to see people know whats goin on.

Prison–industrial complex

The term "prison–industrial complex" (PIC) is used to attribute the rapid expansion of the US inmate population to the political influence of private prison companies and businesses that supply goods and services to government prison agencies

The sharp increase seems to coincide with what were called the Rockefeller Drug Laws

LOL. Funny that.

This just makes me ask a lot of questions.
Sure, it looks great, and they are treating the prisoners exceptionally well.
But, let's get some numbers, for honesty's sake.
How many people have been stabbed with those forks? Knives, tools?
Have they had any "bad" ones, that destroy these rooms?

I get that Norway has a lower crime rate, and overall really seem to have it more together than the US.
But really, nobody (country) is perfect, but this article seems to be painting all rainbows and moonbeams.

That place is wrong, now i want to commit crimes in Norway, whats the worst that can happen? to be sent to jail? that place is nicer that where i live.

Prisons should be the last place you want to be.

originally posted by: Asktheanimals
Don't worry, Norway's luxurious prison standards will drop once the immigrant population overwhelms the natives and police have to begin catching the newly-arrived criminals and the courts convict them. This isn't anti-immigrant rhetoric, statistics show the increase in crime rates in every Scandinavian country since the EU began importing huge numbers of third world immigrants by calling them political refugees.

I would like to see these numbers as what I am looking at in Sweden shows a decrease in crime since 2005 and litlle change at all since 1993. I also see drops in crime in Denmark over the last decade. Although British crimminals tend to be a major cause of crime in Norway they are not immigrants.

Opened in 2010 with a 252 prisoner capacity, Halden seriously rethinks the system and puts a strong emphasis on rehabilitation over punishment. With amenities like a sound studio (where music classes are offered), jogging trails, a teaching kitchen and a freestanding house where inmates can host their families during overnight visits, Halden tries to recreate the outside world as much as possible so that inmates can easily and successfully make the transition back to life after their sentence. And what about the guards? It's about a 50/50 split between men and women, and none of them carry guns. In fact, they routinely eat meals and play sports with the inmates.
mic.com...


this is nothing like I would imagine a prison to be.

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Its probably a minimum security prison for the political prisoners and ultra rich. They have those in the USA where they are not allowed to cross the yellow property line while on the golf course.

There is also a fundamental difference in the way the prisons are run in both countries. In the US the majority of prisons are private run and have a profit motive. It isn't exactly a good business model to rehabilitate criminals because you will lose your future "customers" or profit base. A high recidivism rate is desired in the united states because it produces the most profit.

These profit run prisons also have the ability to lobby the federal government to keep harsh laws in place and introduce mandatory sentences to inflate their profits. The living conditions prisoners face also contribute to many having a difficult time with re-integration after prison because of the way they are treated. In some cases basic human rights have been violated such as keeping prisoners in extreme heat for extended periods of time.

In Norway the prison system is run by the government which is funded by the people who live there. So the government wants to do everything possible to lower recidivism rates to lower the costs of funding the system. There is a lot more discretion in sentencing and people who aren't dangerous criminals are treated in a way that allows them to integrate back into normal society by being placed into the rehabilitation facilities.

There is a huge problem in not just the United States but many countries where people have a view that anyone who is in prison deserves whatever they get, even after they have paid their supposed "debt to society". Being stripped of your right to vote in some cases and even being left unemployed because it is very difficult to get a job with a criminal record in some places. There needs to be a better system to encourage employers to take on ex-inmates with some sort of tax incentive or grants and employment assistance/placement for people getting out of jail to re-integrate them and keep them out of prison.

a reply to: MrSpad

What he is referring to is the majority of new criminal prisoners are muslim immigrants, not the overall crime rate.

I'm from denmark, just to note.

On the topic.

We also have open prison facilities in Denmark where you can come and go within a certain time limit in daytime, the rooms comes with television and Playstation or you can bring your own.

Or the foot chain prison, where you have a transmitter on your ankle, and serving time in your own home, you can leave the home for an hour a day to shop, if you stay away longer or break the chain, you will go in a normal prison, you can have visitors in your home.

I suppose in a system of "correction" one would be more inclined to 'make it' if he is persuaded to 'fake it' first?

'Ya' gotta fake it to make it!'

placebo?

a reply to: MarkItZero

What scares me is the similarity between the private prison-industrial complex and our healthscare system. The profit motive in each is conducive to creating repeat customers. In either case when the bottom line is profit the best interests of the individual in question go right out the window.

Would it be crazy to say that perhaps Norway has a higher average of quality of person than the US? And perhaps the quality of prisoner is also higher on average there? And perhaps it is the quality of individual that allows this sort of prison to work?

typical American 'correctional' attitude
Its just a friggin warehouse, there is no rehabilitation here, thats why the recidivism is so high here.
Look at Norway, very little of it if ANY

If that tubby bastid had his way, all of this would be gone from the Norweigan prisons

The Attica warden says he helps inmates prepare for jobs outside of prison, sadly, noone hires excons here in the USA, which then the con falls back to his old habits, whereas in Norway and Sweden, they focus on the con to become a BETTER person and be a productive member of society.
Not here, in this dungheap of a country.

originally posted by: nugget1
If I lived in Norway, and were homeless- I'd rob a bank with a squirt gun and hope for a very long sentence.

You wouldn't be homeless in Norway because the government makes sure everyone has a home.

And the schools always check to make sure no-one is "slipping through the cracks", so they get some kind of
education and find work, before they become unemployable. Like most European countries, there are apprenticeship schemes.

a reply to: AlaskanDad

When people are happy there is no reason for them to commit a crime.

These people reintegrate into society, are you sure you won't millions of broken humans walking the streets without a job and nothing to live for?

Crap to late....

Oh well..

originally posted by: Viking9019
The prisons in Norway are well known for being like a goddamn hotel.
It's sickening.

Their society is known to have a lot less crime and violence too. Bloody weirdoes I tell you! I mean, why do something that is backed by scientific empiriological studies, when you can simply be childish and petty delivering revenge onto people you hate and fear rather than something that changes their behaviour to fit in with society.

As long as you can spite them and get that petty revenge! YAY.

a reply to: AlaskanDad

I'm going to have to move to Norway and hold up a convenience store-their cells are bigger and better than my current accommodation. Why should I work to pay off a 40 inch flat screen when I can stab someone and get it for nothing?

I'm all for rehabilitation but that is just ridiculous.

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

What's rehabilitation?

Do you even know how or what that means, how to achieve it? What are you even basing your idea on, anything?

I'd say from some of the responses here that the US model is more based on punishment than it is on rehabilitation.

a reply to: intrepid

The statistics speak for themselves.

Our system doesn't work, and hasn't been working for a long time. Judging from the numbers alone. Obviously the Norwegians are doing something right and the Americans are not. This extends past the prison system, out into the culture itself.

You can see this, not by looking at the ideas themselves, but at the successes of the ideas. Look at how what we're doing isn't working and how what their doing is.

originally posted by: chiefsmom
This just makes me ask a lot of questions.
Sure, it looks great, and they are treating the prisoners exceptionally well.
But, let's get some numbers, for honesty's sake.
How many people have been stabbed with those forks? Knives, tools?
Have they had any "bad" ones, that destroy these rooms?

I get that Norway has a lower crime rate, and overall really seem to have it more together than the US.
But really, nobody (country) is perfect, but this article seems to be painting all rainbows and moonbeams.

Exactly what my first thought was, I want data from what types of crimes to cost per prisoner, number of fights, and so on.

Myself I was not sure what to think about a prison like this, after reading the thread and doing some thinking on the situation. I believe low level offenders should be treated like human beings both when in prison and after their release. Now who decides what crimes consist of low level and those that warrant tougher policies is another thread.

I posted this thread to see what info others would offer and there was some interesting input. (: