Prison reform in Norway

Reform initiatives

• The Halden Model: rehabilitation-first design

  rehabilitation · active · 2010–ongoing

  Halden prison, opened in 2010, embodies Norway's 'normality principle': the punishment IS the loss of liberty, so day-to-day life inside should resemble life outside. Cells have private bathrooms, common rooms have IKEA furniture, and officers eat with inmates. The model has been studied and partially replicated in the US, the Netherlands, and parts of Latin America.