Article 5: Reflections on Establishing and Maintaining Humanity in Prisons After 40 Years in Norwegian Corrections (ACJ17-A005)

 

For more than two decades, people from around the world have looked to prisons in Norway as examples of how a degree of humanity can be integrated into correctional services. Many of these individuals fail to see the long series of difficult reforms that were necessary to develop the current Norwegian approach to corrections. The design of some of the newer prisons and the roles that Norwegian prison officers play reflect key elements of this current ideal. The Norwegian Correctional Service (Kriminalomsorgen; NCS) has worked to create a culture that uses these elements to encourage change within incarcerated people as they serve their sentences. Although humanity is an important part of helping people “become good neighbors” once they leave prison, there are many other challenges that must be kept in mind when reforming prisons to be as humane as possible. Halden Prison, a unique high-security facility, may best reflect how the prison environment can connect ideology to the daily work of corrections.

 

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