Prisons as welfare institutions?

Abstract

This chapter introduces the Norwegian prison and probation system through a selection of key figures from official prison statistics. The Nordic countries all have in common both that they regularly produce comprehensive and advanced prison statistics and that they make versions of them available for the general public. Nordic prisons are seen as beacons of humanity and decency in a world of ever-increasing penal populism. John Pratt described the Nordic societies as exhibiting a specifically Nordic penal culture, resulting in what he called Scandinavian or Nordic exceptionalism in the penal area; the exceptional qualities, according to Pratt, being consistently low rates of imprisonment and comparatively humane prison conditions. Norwegian prisons themselves are welfare institutions or that they should be described as penal institutions with close ties to the welfare state agencies may depend on their perspective. Nevertheless, prisoners in these institutions are given opportunities, resources and living conditions that are not available to prisoners in most other jurisdictions.

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