The Radical Humaneness of Norway’s Halden Prison
March 27, 2015 | by Jessica Benko | The New York Times Magazine
One of Norway’s largest prisons is profiled in this piece, which investigates incarceration practices vastly different from those of the United States.
One of Norway’s largest prisons is profiled in this piece, which investigates incarceration practices vastly different from those of the United States. By looking at various economic, social, and physiological theories behind the humanity and lack of violence in Norway’s prisons—including the use of “nature as rehabilitation,” architecture designed to encourage socialization between staff and inmates, and the prevalence of an unofficial “better out than in” motto—the article raises the question of whether such practices could and should be implemented, and be successful, in the United States, which has one of the highest incarceration rates of any country in the world.
Read more about NCCD’s work on de-incarceration and adult criminal justice here.