Luigi Mangione's fellow inmates: Free him, 'conditions suck'

[Think. Again.]

55. ...

-snip-

"Norway

In some other countries, prisons and prison rates are severely more reformed. For example, Norway is often hailed as having the best prison system in the world for both those incarcerated, as well as the economy of the country. That’s right, the prisons in Norway promote economic growth. Not only are these prisons beneficial to the country, but they are not overly flooded and provide those incarcerated within them with opportunities for self-growth and trade skills to utilize once they leave the prison.

Beginning with their prison rate, Norway (population of around 5 million) has only 4,000 incarcerated people in their prison system. That’s around 75 people per 100,000, compared to the United States which has around 700 incarcerated people per 100,000. Additionally, Norway has a mere 20% recidivism rate, one of the lowest in the world, compared to a staggering 76.6% in the United States. In other words, in Norway when prisoners get out, they stay out. Here, when they get you, they’ll probably be back.

Not only are the number of people that we see in Norwegian prisons lower than that we see in the United States, but the quality of prisons in Norway is wildly different from those that we find here. With no bars on windows, kitchens stocked with sharp objects and camaraderie between prisoners and guards, prisons in Norway promote normalcy; moreover, they offer vocational training to inmates in order to prepare them for life once they leave the prison walls.

3.Conclusion

In the United States, the prison system is concerned with retribution first, then rehabilitation, but it’s clear that Norway’s method (rehabilitation first, then retribution) is more effective in lowering crime rates, lowering recidivism rates, and lowering prison rates. The United States is in dire need of prison reform as our current system becomes increasingly overflooded with multiple-time offenders. It’s time to make meaningful changes in our prison systems in order to ensure that those who leave prison walls don’t return, as well as lowering the number that becomes incarcerated, and Norwegian prisons are a prime example that the United States can use to start this process."

Source: https://sites.psu.edu/fowlercivicissues/2023/03/22/prisons-in-the-united-states-vs-norway/