This paper discusses the quality of prison life and prison size in relation to the notion of 'Scandinavian exceptionalism'. Using the questionnaires 'Measuring the Quality of Prison Life' (MQPL) for prisoners and 'Staff Measuring the Quality of Prison Life' (SQL) for staff, data were collected from all 32 closed prisons in Norway. Based on the assumption that prison officers' working lives, their perspectives and values influence prisoners' quality of life, the main focus in the paper is on the officers. Small prisons (fewer than 50 prisoners) obtain more positive results than medium-sized (50-100) and large (more than 100) prisons, on several dimensions measured. The relationship between officers and prisoners seems to be of better quality in small prisons than in medium-sized and large prisons. Officers in small prisons also report more positive relationships with senior management than their colleagues in medium-sized and large prisons. The results are discussed in light of previous studies on officers and prison working life dynamics.
Can a prison in the Netherlands, that is neither ‘Dutch’ nor ‘Norwegian’, be ‘legitimate?’ What are the moral challenges? Our study of the controversial Norgerhaven project—a Norwegian prison located in the Netherlands—found that this ‘experiment’ generated one of the most reflexive, ‘deliberative’ prisons we have encountered. Officials involved in the decision assumed that the two jurisdictions were alike in their values. Few were prepared for the differences that arose. This hybrid prison made punishment, the use of authority, and the meanings of fairness, professionalism and discipline unusually explicit as staff negotiated their practices, creating a shift from ‘practical’ to ‘discursive’ consciousness and exposing many of the complexities of liberal penal power.
The purpose of this article is to present and discuss Norwegian legislation concerning intellectual disability and criminal responsibility. Current legislation has an internationally unique feature, in that the rules governing criminal responsibility are based on what is known as the medical principle. This implies that criminal responsibility is determined by the defendant’s mental health status at the time of the crime. Norwegian criminal law does not require any causal or correlational relationship between the mental condition and the crime, as do most other jurisdictions. A brief description of historical perspectives and the Norwegian criminal justice system with regard to offenders with intellectual disabilities is also included.
The Norwegian Offender Mental Health and Addiction study denotes the need for physical activity and anti-doping interventions in Norwegian prisons. We developed and evaluated the efficacy of such intervention—the Hercules prison program. The program combines theoretical anti-doping lessons with practical strength training. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach (pretest-posttest design) comprising a longitudinal survey, observation, informal conversations, and in-depth interviews. Survey respondents were 104 male prisoners aged 18–56 (M = 34.81, SD = 9.34) years from seven Norwegian prisons. Of these, 52 provided both baseline and posttest responses. Participants completed questionnaires including demographic, doping use, and psychophysical items/measures. At the end of the intervention, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 of the survey respondents. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, as well as independent and paired samples t-tests. The qualitative data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. A total of 7.5% and 33.3% of participants were current and former AAS users respectively, whereas 86.1% personally knew at least one current or former AAS user. Consistent with our expectation, there were increases in self-rated physical strength (t = −4.1, p < 0.001, d = 0.46) and strength training self-efficacy (t = −8.33, p < 0.001, d = 1.36), and a decrease in moral disengagement in doping (t = −4.05, p < 0.001, d = 0.52) from baseline to posttest. These findings are supported by the qualitative data. Notable success factors are relationship-building, instructors' expertise and acceptability, and gatekeepers' navigation and co-creation. The program provides valuable evidence of the potential benefits of combining anti-doping education with practical strength training in doping prevention in correctional settings.
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