The Norwegian correctional
reform plans
Riga, March 17th, 2011
Gerhard Ploeg, senior adviser
Ministry of Justice and the Police
Dept. of Corrections
What will I speak about?
How did we get there?
• Crime and punishment in Norway
• Corrections: goals and organisation
What more can we do?
• Principles and policy-development
VERY LOW RECIDIVISM RATES
Crime development
Offences reported to the police
450000
400000
350000
300000
250000
200000
40 %
30 %
20 %
10 %
0%
Other offences
Vandalism
Traffic offences
Drug offences
Sexual offences
Violent offences
Property offences
Crime development
Type of offence in % for 2009
50 %
Crime development
Type of sanctions in % for 2009
Fine
60 %
50 %
40 %
Unconditional
imprisonment
30 %
20 %
10 %
0%
Community
sentence
Conditional
imprisonment
Other
Crime development
Length of unconditional imprisonment
80 %
70 %
60 %
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
10 %
0%
<3
months
3- 5
months
6 - 11
months
1-2
years
3-4
years
> 5 years
Prison Numbers
Average daily number of prisoners and
prison – population rate in some countries
N
Rate
USA
2,292,000
Russia
825,400
Latvia
7,055
England & Wales
83,055
Norway
3,446
Liechtenstein
10
Source: ICPS World Prison Brief, January 2011
743
582
314
150
71
28
Correctional Services
of Norway
State Organisation
Probation – Prison
Goals
The Correctional Services are
• responsible for carrying out
remands in custody and
penal sanctions
in a way that takes into consideration
• the security of all citizens and
• attempts to prevent recidivism
• by enabling the offenders,
through their own initiatives,
to change their criminal behaviour.
Goals
SECURITY
REHABILITATION
Organisation
Organisation
Central level in the Ministry of Justice
Six regional offices
44 prisons and 17 probation main offices
Oslo: 392
Mosjøen: 12
Average: ca. 70
High-security or
closed prison
2427 = 63,4%
Lower-security or
open prison
1192 = 31,2 %
Half-way house
104 = 2,7 %
Probation service main tasks
Probation service main tasks
• Community sentence
48 %
• Pre-sentence report
29 %
• Conditional release
15 %
• Intoxicated drivers program
9%
Staff
• Ca. 3,500 fte working in prisons
• Ca. 300 fte working in probation
• Ca. 450 fte in Staff Academy and ICT-service
Prison officer training
Two-year education at academic level
• Psychology, sociology, criminology, law, social work
• Conflict management, ethics and human rights
Post-training courses in various working methods and
programmes
Salary during education
Plans for the Future
White Paper:
”Punishment that works”
(September 2008)
A safer community
• High-security prison is necessary
for some
• Better rehabilitation is necessary
for all
Inmate’s living conditions
• Addiction
60 %
• Low education
40 %
• Unemployment
80 %
• Homeless
70 %
• Below povertyline
40 %
Reintegration guarantee
• A place to live
• Some form of income
• Identity papers
If relevant an offer of:
• Education
• Employment
• Health services
• Addiction treatment
• Debt counselling
The whole government!
More community sanctions
Community sentences
Drug Court
Intoxicated drivers
programme
Principle of normality =
no stricter than necessary
The punishment is the deprivation of liberty
Security: enough is enough
A life as normal as possible
Import model
Medical, educational, employment, clerical and library
services are provided from outside
• Continuity
• Involvement
• Budget
Variation in prison sentence execution
More and sooner to an open prison
Conditional release
Treatment institution
Halfway house
Electronic monitoring
Returning
Network outside office hours
Voluntary organsations
Family and friends
•
•
•
•
Regulations for leave
More parental guidance
More phonetime / visiting hours
Better visiting facilities
Recidivism
•
•
•
All prisoners released and all community
sentences started in 2005
Follow-up period of two years
Recidivism = new conviction to prison or
community sentence
Source: ”Retur”, Nordic Research Group, 2010
Recidivism
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Denmark
Finland
Releasees
Norway
Probation clients
Source: ”Retur”, Nordic Research Group, 2010
Sweden
Total
The general public on penal goals
REVENGE
GENERAL DETERRENCE
SPECIAL DETERRENCE
INCAPACITATION
REHABILITATION
The general public on penal goals
70 %
60 %
SPECIAL
DETERRENCE
INCAPACITATION
0%
GENERAL
DETERRENCE
10 %
REVENGE
40 %
30 %
20 %
REHABILITATION
50 %
The right direction??
Thank you for your attention!
gerhard.ploeg@jd.dep.no
tel. +47 22 24 55 73
www.kriminalomsorgen.no
Twitter: @gerhardploeg