Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Justice and the PolicePolice

Dept. of CorrectionsDept. of Corrections

Norway’s “Reintegration Norway’s “Reintegration Guarantee”Guarantee”

Gerhard Ploeg, senior Gerhard Ploeg, senior adviseradviser

Barcelona, DOMICE-seminar Barcelona, DOMICE-seminar 29.9.201129.9.2011

Norway: some relevant Norway: some relevant characteristicscharacteristics

Bizarre geography:Bizarre geography:N–S: 2,500 kmN–S: 2,500 kmE–W: between 700 and 6 kmE–W: between 700 and 6 km

Low population Low population density:density:

• 4,9 million - 14 per 4,9 million - 14 per kmkm2

• In 430 municipalitiesIn 430 municipalitiesHigh income:High income:• per capita Gper capita GDDP $ P $

57,50057,500• 2 % unemployed2 % unemployed

Welfare-based:Welfare-based:• Roughly 1 million Roughly 1 million

publicly publicly employed (= ca. 30 %)employed (= ca. 30 %)

33

SanctionsSanctions

OrganisatioOrganisationn

Central levelCentral level

Six regional officesSix regional offices

50 prisons and 17 probation main 50 prisons and 17 probation main officesoffices

Oslo: 392Oslo: 392 Mosjøen: 12 Mosjøen: 12 Average: Average: ca. 70ca. 70

Staff trainingStaff training

Prison officers: two-year education forPrison officers: two-year education for• Social sciences and lawSocial sciences and law• Ethics and human rightsEthics and human rights• Post-training coursesPost-training courses

Salary during educationSalary during education

Probation workers: academic level Probation workers: academic level

Extensive discretionary powersExtensive discretionary powers

White Paper on White Paper on CorrectionsCorrections

””Punishment that Punishment that works”works”

(September 2008)(September 2008)

Outline for penal policy forOutline for penal policy for

a period of 5 – 10 yearsa period of 5 – 10 years

Principle of normality = Principle of normality = no stricter than necessaryno stricter than necessary

The punishment is the deprivation of libertyThe punishment is the deprivation of liberty

Security: enough is Security: enough is enoughenough

A life as normal as A life as normal as possiblepossible

Import modelImport model

Medical, educational, employment, clerical and Medical, educational, employment, clerical and library services are provided from outsidelibrary services are provided from outside

• ContinuityContinuity

• InvolvementInvolvement

• BudgetBudget

• AddictionAddiction

• Low educationLow education

• UnemploymentUnemployment

• HomelessHomeless

• Below povertylineBelow povertyline

Inmate’s living conditionsInmate’s living conditions

60 %60 %

40 %40 %

80 %80 %

65 %65 %

40 %40 %

Source: FAFO, 2004Source: FAFO, 2004

Reintegration guaranteeReintegration guarantee

• A place to live A place to live • Some form of Some form of

incomeincome• Identity papersIdentity papers

If relevant an offer of:If relevant an offer of:• EducationEducation• EmploymentEmployment• Health servicesHealth services• Addiction treatmentAddiction treatment• Debt counsellingDebt counsellingThe whole government!The whole government!

””Guarantee” Guarantee”

• PoliticalPolitical guarantee guarantee• No No newnew legal rights 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 guaranteeFour myths around the guarantee

No!No!

The Government owns itThe Government owns it

Myth #1 Myth #1

The Ministry of Justice The Ministry of Justice “owns”“owns”

the Reintegration the Reintegration GuaranteeGuarantee

No!No!

The Municipalities The Municipalities own the offenders own the offenders

coming from a community coming from a community – –

going to a communitygoing to a community

Myth #2 Myth #2

The Correctional ServicesThe Correctional Services “ “own” the offendersown” the offenders

No!No!

All you need isAll you need is

CoordinationCoordination

Attention Attention

GoodwillGoodwill

MoneyMoney

Myth #3 Myth #3

““The Others” are to The Others” are to blame!blame!

No!No!

The guarantee applies to all The guarantee applies to all forms of sentence -forms of sentence -

Probation role is centralProbation role is central

Myth #4 Myth #4

The Probation service has no The Probation service has no role in the reintegration role in the reintegration guaranteeguarantee

Key FigureKey Figure

The Reintegration CoordinatorThe Reintegration Coordinator(25 ultimate case managers)(25 ultimate case managers)

• What type of competence?What type of competence?• Which location?Which location?• What about current What about current

functions?functions?-- Social consultants?Social consultants?-- Contact officers?Contact officers?-- Job centre-supervisors?Job centre-supervisors?-- Work operation staff?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

PredictabilityPredictability

Source: ”Retur”, Nordic Research Group, 2010Source: ”Retur”, Nordic Research Group, 2010

• All prisoners released and all All prisoners released and all community sentences started in 2005community sentences started in 2005

• Follow-up period of two yearsFollow-up period of two years• Recidivism = new conviction to prison Recidivism = new conviction to prison

or community sentenceor community sentence

RecidivismRecidivism

%%

The right direction??The right direction??

www.kriminalomsorgen.www.kriminalomsorgen.nonowww.cepprobation.orgwww.cepprobation.orgwww.euro-vista.org www.euro-vista.org

gerhard.ploeg@jd.dep.ngerhard.ploeg@jd.dep.noo

tel. +47 tel. +47 99 246 27699 246 276

Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!

Follow me on Twitter: Follow me on Twitter: @gerhardploeg@gerhardploeg