🏛️

Understanding the Norwegian Prison System

Apr 23, 2025

Lecture Notes: Norwegian Prison System

Introduction

  • Discussion on the nature of life in a maximum-security prison.
  • Goal: Reduce the feeling of being in prison as much as possible.

Key Concepts

  1. Principle of Normality

    • Life inside prisons should resemble life in the community.
    • Taking away liberty and family is the punishment; life inside should be normalized.
  2. Humanity in Prisons

    • Emphasis on treating inmates with dignity and respect.
    • Interactions between staff and inmates are crucial.
    • Importance of wearing normal clothing to reduce prison-like feeling.
  3. Dynamic Security

    • Focus on interpersonal relationships between officers and inmates.
    • Each inmate has a primary contact officer.
    • Officers are also seen as social workers, focusing on respect and human rights.
  4. Reintegration into Society

    • Focus on future planning and steps to become a free citizen.
    • Officers assist inmates with system knowledge and future advice.

Facilities and Environment

  • Cells equipped with personal amenities (DVDs, showers, keys).
  • Commissary stores for normalization of life experiences.
  • Encouragement of interaction, such as playing games with inmates.

Staff Training and Duties

  • Major subjects: Ethics, Psychology, Communication, Criminology, Law, Human Rights.
  • Less focus on physical defense, more on respectful treatment.
  • Interaction is encouraged, contrary to some practices in other countries.

Personal Accounts

  • Positive experiences compared to prisons in other countries, e.g., Brazil.
  • Importance of communication and trust in developing a future plan.
  • Personal stories highlight the difference in treatment and overall prison environment.

Conclusion

  • Interaction and communication are key to successful reintegration.
  • The environment in Norwegian prisons is vastly different from other international experiences.
  • Hope and opportunity post-prison are emphasized through respectful treatment and planning.