Surprise! Norwegian prisons do not deter would-be criminals

[webfact]

Surprise! Norwegian prisons do not deter would-be criminals


A handout picture distributed by Ila Prison shows common area for inmates at the Ila prison, just outside Oslo.

OSLO: -- The share of foreign criminals in Norwegian prisons has been quadrupled in 14 years. Norwegian prisons are not frightening enough, police and attorneys say.

The share of foreign citizens who serve time in Norwegian prisons has increased from 8,6 percent in 2000 to 34,2 percent at the end of May this year.

Foreign criminals with no legal residency in Norway have the same rights as other prisoners, which includes cultural facilities, a daily allowance, church services, and full health care coverage.

Prisoners can also use the phone, and apply to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) if they need money to buy clothes.

Read more: Norway Post

Source: http://scandasia.com/surprise-norwegian-prisons-do-not-deter-would-be-criminals/

-- ScandAsia 2014-09-05

[MJP]

Imprisoned in Ikea hell I'd ever reoffend.

[TVGerry]

That picture showing the 'prison' is nicer than a lot of poor people apartments! No wonder more people want to go to jail there!

[apetley]

Prisoner human rights in Norway obviously requires a table cloth.

[Gulfsailor]

Prison is never a good deterrence against crime. Corporal punishment works better in that regard. But since civilized people are against corporal punishment one should not look at the deterrent factor of the prison system but at how effective a country's rehabilitation system is in preventing convicts to go wrong in the future. In that regard the system that Norway offer with special therapies and loads of free education possibilities does incredibly well compared to other countries.

[Kerryd]

Apparently this is the prison where the worst Norwegian criminals are held.

Some more pics: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=447&GalleryID=848&gpid=3

Wow. Little wonder their foreign prisoner population is skyrocketing !

[soihok]

Makes you wonder why all these illegal immigrants are trying to get to the UK.

They would be far better off in Norway wouldn't they.

[MJP]

Apparently this is the prison where the worst Norwegian criminals are held.

Some more pics: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=447&GalleryID=848&gpid=3

Wow. Little wonder their foreign prisoner population is skyrocketing !

There's method to this.

Imagine being held for years in an Ikea store, the only reading matter being outdated Ikea catalogues and the only activity being assembling, then disassembling and then reassembling the same flat pack bookcase day in day out.

A cruel and unusual punishment.

Would you re-offend? No of course you wouldn't. However you may have developed a fear of pine and standard lamps and have a nervous twitch similar to turning a soft Allen key.

[TallPalm]

Perhaps prison isn't even the answer for most offences?

[MJP]

Perhaps prison isn't even the answer for most offences?

Ikea certainly is.

[bangkapi]

I met a Colombian man on the beach in Cartagena, Colombia back in 1989. His English was fairly good.

He had done time in federal prison in the USA for smuggling over a kg of cocaine and identity theft.

He was waxing nostalgic about the great conditions. The exercise, food, books, movies, etc.

He said that he lived a better life in that prison than most of the Colombian college graduates with jobs.

He said his only complaint was that the sex had to be with other males rather than the gender he preferred.

[Credo]

The punishment is that they give you a nice place to stay and take good care of you and then give you a light sentence and make you go leave.

It's a little like trying to transition from childhood to adulthood.

[Steely Dan]

That picture showing the 'prison' is nicer than a lot of poor people apartments! No wonder more people want to go to jail there!

If you came from a third world sh-1-t hole there would be no contest, better get sent down for a long stretch too by committing a serious crime.

[belg]

they should come to thailand on a field trip ?

[soihok]

Yeah, a prisoner exchange programme!!

The Thai guys would have never had it so good and would go on hunger strike when faced with their imminent return to Thailand

[balo]

Not all prisons look like this in Norway . But we do offer free health care and give them some pocket money . Problem is that the foreign criminals comes from poor countries like Romania and they are not afraid of ending up in a Norwegian prison . But now the politicians want them to serve the sentence in their home countries instead , so hopefully soon back to Romania and the small , stinky prison cell.

Edited September 5, 2014 by balo

[CWMcMurray]

Maybe that's way the Norwegian just arrested in Pattaya recently for selling drugs didn't look so troubled...

He may realize that Norway has a prisoner transfer program with Thailand ...

http://www.correct.go.th/eng/transfer.html

[JSPS]

Imprisoned in Ikea hell I'd ever reoffend.

Ikea is Swedish.

[MJP]

Imprisoned in Ikea hell I'd ever reoffend.

Ikea is Swedish.

I know but it seems they fit out Norweigan prisons.

[Patje]

In some countries they call this a hotel, is there also a la carte menu ?

[MJP]

In some countries they call this a hotel, is there also a la carte menu ?

We need to look at the tariffs for different crimes in Norway to book our stay.

I'm tempted by armed robbery.

[boomerangutang]

I don't know the cost in Norway to house a prisoner, but in the US, it's as much as $60,000/year.

The Norwegians (and other western countries) probably figure that: the nicer the facilities, the calmer and easier-to-handle it will be to handle the prisoners. There's a parallel mentality with European countries enabling hundreds of thousands of immigrants to enter and gain welfare benefits: The more comfortable the living conditions, the less likely that immigrants will become rowdy. Is it working? Somewhat, yes. But look at what's happening in UK now, and imagine how things could change if/when the comfort level is lessened.

A bit different, but here's a comparison from recent personal experience: I hired a young Slovakian man (26) to be a manager on commission re; trekking biz. Some days he made Bt.1,000. When I upgraded his status to free house and free use of motorbike, PLUS doubled his commission to Bt.2,000/day be quickly became ornery and unappreciative. In other words, the cushier his scenario, the more moody he became (he was also doing at least 3 recreational drugs including alcohol). It gives meaning to: "give 'em an inch, they'll want a mile." Incidentally, a similar scenario took place with a young Australian man a few years earlier: Better conditions+ higher pay = more greedy + less appreciative. The human mind is odd.

[Gulfsailor]

Well, Norway found the solution to the popularity of its prisons. It is sending thousands of prisoners to empty jails in The Netherlands.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 9/5/2014 at 6:07 PM, Gulfsailor said:

Prison is never a good deterrence against crime. Corporal punishment works better in that regard. But since civilized people are against corporal punishment one should not look at the deterrent factor of the prison system but at how effective a country's rehabilitation system is in preventing convicts to go wrong in the future. In that regard the system that Norway offer with special therapies and loads of free education possibilities does incredibly well compared to other countries.

I go the other way. I don't want criminals having a lot of tax payers money spent on them for rehabilitation- I want people that commit serious crime to do real time- life should mean they die in prison. Rapists, drug dealers and gangsters 50 years.

People that are not a threat to society don't see inside a jail.

Singapore canes vandals and graffiti artists which seems a better way of dealing with them than expensive prison time.

If someone commits harm to another, I want them punished, not mollycoddled.