Just three decades ago, Norway’s recidivism rate was equal to the US today with an

all-time high of 70% of criminals released committing crimes again. In the status quo,
the country of Norway could have become the United States by having an incarceration
system with the use of punishment and penal labor. This harsh issue was brought about
by the idea that lengthier and harsher conditions can teach people not to commit crimes
in which, the opposite happened. Thus, the nation of Norway stands corrected and has
proceeded in doing the opposite of the harsh conditions back then.

Norway has been progressive in changing its own values. From using numerous
punishments to abolishing capital and corporal punishment whilst making imprisonment
the main form of punishment in the 1800s. Norway was once using a punitive justice
system, but when the majority of Norwegian citizens were dissatisfied with the harsh
conditions, the Norwegian Association for Criminal Reform (KROM) was formed.

KROM abolished forced labor in 1970 and juvenile centers in 1975. Nevertheless, the
prisoners from Norway did not stop assaulting and escaping, so in order to reduce this
issue, KROM focused on rehabilitation, education, and an open prison system. Norway’s
values of bringing ‘normalcy’ and making lives in prison similar to the outside world
greatly impacted the country to reduce the likelihood of prisoners committing crimes
again.

Norway’s rehabilitative approach provides large benefits that outweigh the negatives.
Though Norway spends 300% more per prisoner than the US, it is worth it since the
nation’s recidivism rate dropped significantly to just 20%. This reform also impacted the
economy of Norway positively due to the lower costs of law enforcement.

The country of Norway therefore believes in imprisonment being solely the restriction of
liberty, and not one’s humanity and dignity in order to establish a country where rights,
rehabilitation, and crime reduction are of the highest priority.