The Norwegian Correctional Menu With emphasis on minor crimes Director General Marianne Vollan, Norwegian Correctional Service Seminar in Riga, 30 September 2013 Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI)

Which sanctions to choose from? For the prosecution authority: Writ (fine) For the judge: Prison penalty (Preventive detention) Fines Community Sentence Programme for Intoxicated drivers Drug Court For the Correctional Service: Home curfew with or without electronic monitoring Serving the sentence in an institution Serving an unpaid fine by doing work Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI)

Why seek alternatives to prison? Community-based interventions allow for the offender to maintain employment, social relations etc. Institutionalizing has often negative effects We need the prison capacity – we have a waiting list Prison is more expensive The recidivism rate seems to be lower when serving a sentence in the community than in prison Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI)

A closer look into some sanctions Programme for Intoxicated Drivers Electronic Monitoring Serving the sentence in an institution Serving an unpaid fine by doing work Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI)

What is the Programme for Intoxicated Drivers? A penal sanction which may be given to people who would otherwise have been sentenced to unconditional imprisonment for driving while intoxicated, with legal or illegal substances The penal sanction consists of: o Individual conversations o Structured group meetings (lessons) o Mapping the needs of treatment o Control under the auspices of the correctional service The implementation period is normally 10 months

Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI) The Aims of the Programme To generate greater road safety and reduce the number of road accidents by working to prevent new criminal acts of driving while intoxicated The convicted are to: o gain increased knowledge of their behaviour with intoxicants and the risks associated with it o gain increased motivation to change such behaviour o get assistance in finding ways to help them avoid driving while intoxicated in the future. To impart knowledge about the consequences of driving while intoxicated and to make the convicted conscious of taking responsibility for their own actions

Target group People who would otherwise have been sentenced to unconditional imprisonment for severe incidents of driving while intoxicated, and who have problems with alcohol and/or other kinds of substances or sedatives The sanction may also be applied to people who do not have an extensive substance abuse problem, but have driving while intoxicated as a problem. Repeatedly driving while intoxicated may indicate a substance abuse problem Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI)

Electronic Monitoring A pilot project since 2008 A prison sentence up to 4 months (front door) or the last 4 months of a longer sentence (back door) can be transformed into EM The convicted has to apply for EM The convict must have a place to live and participate in the community EM involves a very close following-up, and is merely a tool, not a stand-alone measure About 10 % recidivism after 2 years Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI)

Serving the sentence in a treatment institution When it is seen necessary for improving the convicted person’s capacity to function socially and law-abidingly Many inmates have a major drug and/or alcohol addiction problem Addressing the problem, may facilitate better for the offender to choose a crime- free lifestyle Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI)

Serving an unpaid fine Today an unpaid fine must be served in prison The Norwegian Parliament has passed new legislation deciding that the unpaid fine can be served by doing work in the community The new legislation is not yet in force, but will mean that nobody has to go to prison out of economic reasons The Correctional Service will be responsible for the execution of the sanction Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI)

Thank you for the attention! Kriminalomsorgsdirektoratet (KDI)