What is the point of sending someone to prison - retribution or rehabilitation? 20 years ago Norway realised the answer was the latter and since then has been working hard to transform the Norwegian Correctional Services (NCS).

The ’80s and early ’90s were a challenging period for NCS, with hostile climates inside of prisons for staff and inmates. As Are Hoidal, Prison Governor at Norway’s Halden Prison notes; “the correctional climate in the 80s and 90s was characterised by a number of negative incidents. There were drug problems, mental health problems, a number of riots and escapes, as well as increased public concern about the lengthy waiting times for serving sentences. There was, in other words, a significant need to push NCS in a new direction.”

As such a significant effort was initiated by the new director of NCS to develop a new framework for Norwegian corrections. Ahead of the Future Justice & Corrections Summit 2020 we chat to Are Hoidal about the cultural transformation Norwegian Corrections established and explore how these transformations are decreasing recidivism, improving inmate welfare and creating better members of society.