Prisoner's Paradise

[rory 0]

http://english.people.com.cn/200603/...24_253155.html

 

Island prison tries to bring out best in inmates

 

The website reads like an advertisement for a holiday home.

 

"Is Bastoy the place for you?" it asks next to photographs of a sunset sparkling off the tranquil waters of the Oslo fjord and horses pulling sleighs over packed snow.

 

This wooded island could be if you are a rapist, a murderer, a drug trafficker or have accepted a large bribe.

 

"We try to take a cross-section of the country's prison population, not just the nice criminals," said Oyvind Alnaes, governor of the minimum security prison on Bastoy Island about 75 kilometres south of the Norwegian capital.

 

Inmates have included Norway's most notorious serial killer, Arnfinn Nesset, convicted of murdering 22 elderly people when he was manager of a nursing home in the 1970s. He was freed for good behaviour after serving two-thirds of a 21-year sentence.

 

"A lot of people in Norway say that we treat them (the prisoners) too well because they should be punished. But this is the biggest mistake we have been making since the 1600s. Taking this line makes people bad," Alnaes said. "You have to believe people are born good."

 

The 2.6-square kilometre Bastoy island offers its 115 "residents" cross-country skiing, tennis and horse-riding, but before the inmates can slope off to practise their serve or head to the beach for a swim, there is work to do on the farm.

 

"We want to become the first ecological prison in the world," Alnaes said. "It's about giving the inmates responsibility (and) trust, and teaching them respect."

 

Alnaes, who wears jeans and t-shirts to work and is known to the inmates as Oyvind, says this model of open prison is the future. In 1997, he gave Bastoy Prison a new slogan: "An arena of the development of responsibility."

 

Escape

 

Looking after the island's environment, he says, will nurture this sense of responsibility in the prisoners.

 

"Ecological thinking is about taking responsibility for nature, the future and how your grandchildren grow up," he said.

 

Only a handful of cars are used by prison staff on the island and along with the ferry, their engines will be converted to biofuel. The prison's six horses do most of the work, pulling carts driven by the prisoners, waste from the prison is used to generate power while oil heaters are being converted to wood.

 

The governor's development of responsibility goes further.

 

"The usual thing is that prisons are all about security," he said. "On the island, inmates work with knives and saws and axes. They need to to do the work. And if an inmates increases his responsibility, you have to give him trust."

 

Norway has one of the lowest incarceration rates in the world but the justice system does receive some criticism, notably for lengthy pre-trial detentions and cramped holding cells at police stations.

 

Rather than watching and guarding, the 69 prison employees at Bastoy work alongside the inmates until it is time to go home and from 3 pm every day only five remain on the island.

 

The onus is on the prisoners not to escape. There have been few attempts, when friends have come over in a boat during the night to pick up a prisoner, but Alnaes says making a break for it is not a smart move.

 

One of the island's beaches is open to the public and is crowded in the summer with day-trippers. It is the only part of the island the prisoners are banned from.

[Jasper 0]

Sound like something our Congress here in the states would come up with.

[Thomas 0]

For some crimes you throw away the book. For some crimes you offer treatment.

[Securitymaster 0]

 

Inmates have included tNorway's most notorious serial killer, Arnfinn Nesset, convicted of murdering 22 elderly people when he was manager of a nursing home in the 1970s. He was freed for good behaviour after serving two-thirds of a 21-year sentence.

 

 

What?? So I kill 22 People and I only get 21 years? Damm, I should take someone I know over there and "take care of him" and only get basically 10 1/2 months? Uhmm.... I can live with that

[Cooperman 0]

If you think that's bad, our government department, The Home Office have 'lost' loads of murderers and sex offenders who have been released back into society after very brief sentences, and are now desperately trying to track them down.

 

Now you know why we have so many cameras in the 'hood' (estimated at 4.25 million and counting!)

[kensplace 0]

I always thought there were so many cameras because the councils must be making a fortune on grants etc, kickbacks etc. The prices they pay for a few cameras, ptz, etc is beyond belief.

 

Funny thing about england is, we have so many cameras, but so few of them actually produce anything worth using.....

[rory 0]

still, your crime rate is so low compared to other countries ..

[andrex 0]

knives are really a very useful tools...

Edited February 21, 2011 by Guest

[rory 0]

knives are really a vary useful tools...

No they are not.

I havent used a knife in at least a decade.

[musher 0]

No they are not.

I havent used a knife in at least a decade.

 

One of those gentleman types who lets others do his cutting eh?

 

[rory 0]

No they are not.

I havent used a knife in at least a decade.

 

One of those gentleman types who lets others do his cutting eh?

 

no i only use plastic forks!

[andrex 0]