Norwegian Prison Experience
In the 1980s, the United States began to adopt tougher drug laws resulting in more frequent and longer prison sentences. Implemented in the name of combating rising drug use and protecting traditional values, these laws have resulted in a staggering number of incarcerations for non-violent crimes, disproportionately affecting urban minorities and the poor. Consider these statistics:
“The United States makes up about 5% of the world’s population and has 21% of the world’s prisoners” (NAACP, 2017)
“For every 100,000 Americans in each race or gender group, there are 478 white males, 3,023 black males, 51 white females, and 129 black females incarcerated in state or federal prison.” (Fellner, Parker, & McFarland, 2014)
“Immigration offenses account for over 40 percent of all federal criminal prosecutions and almost 30 percent of new admissions to the federal prison system.” (Fellner, Parker, & McFarland, 2014).
For some time, opponents of “Get Tough” policies have argued that prisons were counterproductive and increased the likelihood of recidivism post-release. In fact, they have argued that the prison experience itself predisposes prisoners to greater levels of criminality through peer observation and learned behavior. On the other hand, those who have supported these get-tough policies have continued to argue that prison serves as the best deterrent to future criminal activity.
You may be most familiar with the U.S. corrections system if you live in the United States, but most countries have their own unique approach to incarceration. By conducting international comparisons, you can evaluate outcomes and learn or share best practices from different philosophies and approaches. In this week’s discussion, you will examine a correctional philosophy that is vastly different from that of the United States and consider how you might measure its outcomes in order to compare them to U.S. outcomes.
To prepare:
Review the video, Luxury Prison: Serving Time with Amenities in the Learning Resources.
Research has demonstrated that prison experiences impact post-release behavior and overall public safety. Consider what specific effects the Norwegian system might have when the offenders are released.
Explain what effects the Norwegian prison experience might have on the community when offenders are released back into the community. If you wanted to test your hypothesis, how would you study and measure those effects?
