Norway: bridging the gap

Johan Lothe. There are various types of small-scall facilities, but they remain a minority compared to high-security prisons that still exist in our country.

Small-scale detention centres are facilities that hold between 10 and 25 prisoners. They are generally located in remote areas. The prison service is still too afraid to build prisons close to places where people live. Many of the small-scale facilities are halfway houses: establishments designed to serve as a transitional stage between prison and society. People serving long sentences can spend their last nine to three months in a halfway house. They work outside during the day and sleep in the facility overnight. Some of them come to WayBack during the day to socialise. They might also look after the garden, and prepare lunch, coffee or meetings. It isn’t a job, but rather a social function that helps them learn how to communicate.

Ideally, these detention facilities should be built to offer added value to the community, in order to demonstrate that their proximity is in the general public’s interest. A prisoner could, for example, run a bike shop, a restaurant or a café that serves the community.

We also have drug rehabilitation centres. Of the 58 prisons in Norway, 18 offer some form of drug rehabilitation service. Half of the drug rehabilitation units are in small scale facilities, with no more than 60 people. These units focus on cognitive programmes such as re-establishing links with the community, problem solving, reflection, behaviour, overcoming drug cravings or saying no to drugs. There are also medical treatment programmes using Methadone, Subutex and Suboxone. Around 10% of the prison population takes one of these drugs. Prisoners can also ask to spend their remaining three to six months in rehabilitation clinics outside prison. Some of these clinics are in the countryside, others in towns. Ultimately, everyone is different: some need to be away from the city to get off drugs, while others need the stimulus of city life to keep their minds occupied.

JL. Norwegian prisons are very old buildings, dating back as far as the 18th century. Prisoners are too often isolated in single cells without access to a job or activities. Having your own room may be desirable in some circumstances, but it also means you can’t socialise with others. This is the main factor contributing to the high rate of mental health problems among prisoners, estimated at around 60% of the Norwegian prison population. Prison services want to reduce the risk of suicide, but instead of trying to improve conditions, they isolate prisoners in solitary confinement to keep them away from dangerous objects such as pills or knives.

Currently, there is a great deal of self-harm among incarcerated women. A number of suicides have been reported in the media. At WayBack, we find that women tend to work better with other women. Very often, they have had bad experiences with men, due to domestic violence and other forms of abuse. Services for women are also more limited in prison. There are no halfway houses exclusively dedicated for them.

The programmes they are offered are more cognitive-based than work-related. Jobs in these halfway houses tend to be more old-fashioned and gender-biased, such as sewing. It is then very difficult to find work after release, and the activity therefore becomes more of a recreational one than a job or vocational training. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on providing jobs that will help these women after their release.

More than 50% of the prison population has a substance abuse problem. This group has the highest rate of recidivism, which makes access to rehabilitation programmes all the more important. The beginning of incarceration is very difficult. Prisoners remain particularly vulnerable during the first two weeks. But our focus is on release because we know that the risk of overdose is highest in the first 48 hours after release and suicide in the first 24 hours. Once they’ve finished their day’s work, it’s important that they have a social life to avoid boredom and reduce the risk of falling back into drugs. This is why we ensure that we can be reached by phone until 7pm. When they know there’s someone they can call, it gives them someone to talk to and gives us a chance to prevent them from making a bad decision.

JL. We call WayBack the foundation for life after incarceration. I was formerly incarcerated, as were all those who work for WayBack. The main purpose of our organisation is to help former prisoners reintegrate into society. We visit them during their incarceration to establish a relationship and begin the preparations for their release. The Norwegian welfare system is quite good, but the problem is the gap between the prison and the community. What we’re doing is bridging the gap between the two, using the experience we have of our own transition back into society. The key focus is on providing support and stability during transitional periods to help individuals feel safer and increase their chances of success.

Transitions in life, such as changing partners, jobs, or homes, can be challenging and increase the risk of relapse into negative behaviours like drug use or crime. By minimising the number of transitions and offering support, such as helping individuals reconnect with the community and improve social skills, we increase the likelihood of positive outcomes.

The average membership duration is around a year, but individuals can remain members for as long as they want. We believe that it’s best to start working with prisoners as early as possible, but we know that this is also a matter of capacity. We normally start three to six months before their release, regardless of the total length of their sentence. We give motivational speeches and hold reflection groups of up to eight people. For those who are interested, we conduct an interview and have them sign an agreement to become a member. We start by giving them a pie chart with five challenges: housing; economy and debts; health (mental disorders, drugs, etc.); work; and network and friends. Together, we discuss what we should tackle first and how. Then, we contact the relevant agencies, such as the health or education services, to establish a link and initiate procedures. The lack of proximity between prisoners and the community is a major obstacle to these initiatives. Prisoners should serve their sentences close to where they live, where they have family and where they can access municipal services.
Most of our members also have financial debt, so we try to settle them by reaching agreements with creditors. Financial issues are a major source of stress. We try to ensure that people have an income, somewhere to live, and a new social circle so that they don’t reconnect with their old criminal network. Typically, they find an apartment, but it’s empty, so we try to come up with solutions. We find second-hand furniture, go shopping together and get a trailer or car to transport the furniture. We also invite them to WayBack to celebrate their release and make plans for the future, but also to keep in touch and maintain the relationship.

The organisation’s strength lies in the lived experiences of its members. It allows them to better understand and connect with prisoners who are going through similar situations. We act as mentors or sponsors, rather than social workers or family members. Many of these individuals struggle with socialising and knowing what to talk about, so we try to address that through activities like walking and engaging in nature which facilitate better connections than traditional office settings. While the specific triggers for change may not always be clear, the emphasis remains on empowering individuals to take control of their lives and make their own decisions. I always tell them: “I can’t decide for you, I can’t tell you how to live your life, but I can give you examples of what I’ve done and what others have done”. It’s important for them to know that it’s their decision, not ours, and that the responsibility for change lies with them.