Ministry of Justice and the Police Dept. of Corrections Norway’s “Reintegration Guarantee” Gerhard Ploeg, senior adviser Barcelona, DOMICE-seminar

Norway: some relevant characteristics Bizarre geography: N–S: 2,500 km E–W: between 700 and 6 km Low population density: 4,9 million - 14 per km 4,9 million - 14 per km 2 In 430 municipalities In 430 municipalities High income: per capita GDP $ 57,500 per capita GDP $ 57,500 2 % unemployed 2 % unemployed Welfare-based: Roughly 1 million publicly Roughly 1 million publicly employed (= ca. 30 %)

3 Sanctions

Organisation Central level Six regional offices 50 prisons and 17 probation main offices Oslo: 392 Mosjøen: 12 Average: ca. 70

Staff training Prison officers: two-year education for Social sciences and law Social sciences and law Ethics and human rights Ethics and human rights Post-training courses Post-training courses Salary during education Probation workers: academic level Extensive discretionary powers

White Paper on Corrections ”Punishment that works” (September 2008) (September 2008) Outline for penal policy for a period of 5 – 10 years

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 Continuity Involvement Involvement Budget Budget

AddictionAddiction Low educationLow education UnemploymentUnemployment HomelessHomeless Below povertylineBelow povertyline Inmate’s living conditions 60 % 40 % 80 % 65 % 40 % Source: FAFO, 2004

Reintegration guarantee A place to liveA place to live Some form of incomeSome form of income Identity papersIdentity papers If relevant an offer of: EducationEducation EmploymentEmployment Health servicesHealth services Addiction treatmentAddiction treatment Debt counsellingDebt counselling The whole government!

”Guarantee” Political guaranteePolitical guarantee No new legal rightsNo new legal rights Exercising the rights of every citizenExercising the rights of every citizen It requires the co-operation of the offenderIt requires the co-operation of the offender Four myths around the guarantee

No! The Government owns it Myth #1 The Ministry of Justice “owns” the Reintegration Guarantee

No! The Municipalities own the offenders coming from a community – going to a community Myth #2 The Correctional Services “own” the offenders “own” the offenders

No! All you need is CoordinationAttentionGoodwillMoney Myth #3 “The Others” are to blame!

No! The guarantee applies to all forms of sentence - Probation role is central Myth #4 The Probation service has no role in the reintegration guarantee

Key Figure The Reintegration Coordinator (25 ultimate case managers) What type of competence?What type of competence? Which location?Which location? What about current functions?What about current functions? -Social consultants? -Contact officers? -Job centre-supervisors? -Work operation staff?

For offendersFor offenders For correctional servicesFor correctional services For case-managersFor case-managers For service providersFor service providers For social networkFor social network Predictability

Source: ”Retur”, Nordic Research Group, 2010 All prisoners released and all community sentences started in 2005 All prisoners released and all community sentences started in 2005 Follow-up period of two years Follow-up period of two years Recidivism = new conviction to prison or community sentence Recidivism = new conviction to prison or community sentence Recidivism %

The right direction??

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