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Norway · Vestfold · Horten
Bastøy Prison
Open prisonMinimummaleUnder capacity (91%)LowHigh
Verified · Data dated
Fresh · 2mo ago
Sources last reviewed on · data-as-of
Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always verify with primary sources before acting on any figure. See data sources.
For families
How to send mail, money, and visit Bastøy Prison
Step-by-step guidance using the Norway system — addresses, money services, visit booking, what to bring on your first visit.
Island prison housing inmates in small wooden cottages. Inmates work farms, forestry, and ferry crews. Rehabilitation-first model.
Capacity
115
Current population
105
Occupancy
91%
Year opened
1982
Operational
Figures from official sources · verified 29 May 2026 · methodology
Facility profile
Operator
KriminalomsorgenPopulation held
male
Opened
1982
Region
Vestfold
Security level
Minimum
Death-row facility
No
Conditions
World's only ecological prison. Subject of multiple international documentaries on humane incarceration models.
Visiting
Visitors arrive via the prison-operated ferry from Horten. Day and overnight family visits scheduled with prison staff.
Mailing
Standard postal mail; minimal screening due to low-security regime.
Practical info
The ferry is operated by inmates as part of their work programme.
Known issues
No major issues documented in our database.
Notable inmates
- Lars Grønnerød1958–2019 · merchant
Source: Wikidata + Wikipedia.
Contact & address
Conditions Risk Score
Derived signal — not a judgement. How it's calculated
0/100
Low concern0/100
- Overcrowding
- 0/30
- Oversight reports
- 0/30
- Structural flags
- 0/15
- Death signals
- 0/15
- Conditions text
- 0/10
This facility scores 0. The national average across 144 scored Norway facilities is 3 — 3 points below national average.
Related facilities
Same country, matched on type + security level where possible.
- Halden PrisonHaldenMaximumHigh-security97% occupancy
- Innlandet: Kriminalomsorgen Innlandet, avd. lavere sikkerhet, KongsvingerLow securityPrison
- Agder fengsel, Froland avdelingFrolandHigh securityPrison
- Shtalag 380
- Åna fengsel, Rødgata avdelingRødgataLow securityPrison
- Bastøy fengselLow securityPrison
Compared to other facilities in Norway
143 peersConditions risk scorethis: 0/100 · peers avg: 6/100 (100%)
Higher risk than 0% of peer facilities in Norway.
Occupancythis: 91% · peers avg: 97% (6%)
Capacity (beds)this: 115 · peers avg: 119047510 (100%)
Data completeness
100%How many of our profile fields are populated. We surface this so families and researchers know the limits.
Sources
- Norwegian Correctional Service
- Norwegian Correctional Service — Kriminalomsorgen
- Wikidata (Q1568164)
- Wikipedia
- Wikimedia Commons
- See /data-sources for our overall methodology.
Cite this page
Under CC-BY-4.0. Include the URL and access date; the site is a living reference and entries can change.
APA
World Prisons. (2026). Bastøy Prison. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://worldprisons.com/prisons/bastoy
Chicago
"Bastøy Prison." World Prisons. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://worldprisons.com/prisons/bastoy.
BibTeX
@misc{worldprisons-bastoy,
author = {{World Prisons}},
title = {Bastøy Prison},
year = {2026},
url = {https://worldprisons.com/prisons/bastoy},
urldate = {2026-07-21}
}