During the 18th century, Oslo’s Tjuvholment (Thief Island) boasted a section called Slaveriet (the Slavery), from which prisoners were rented out as day laborers.
Though contemporary Norway has neither death penalty nor life sentence, its history maps the spectrum, from execution to punishment to discipline, of Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish (1975). Through the 19th century, beheadings were staged within Oslo’s Akershus Festning (Akershus Fortress), a medieval walled complex built to guarantee Norwegian sovereignty. The spray-painted image of an inmate in uniform hurling a ball and chain-writ large on the prison wall and small on the latrine door by the Norwegian graffiti artist Dolk-further distracts from the convict’s body, the traditional surveillance object. As inmates and prison guards (the latter outnumber the former) freely intermingle, it is the monochromatic blue fabric of the prison uniform that stands out. Fabric, paint, door hardware, and artwork are disconcertingly bright and cheery, if generic in the showroom mode of the Swedish IKEA. That is the worst thing that can happen to you.” One might be forgiven for thinking of Buñuel’s Exterminating Angel (1962), and the exquisite madness of the bourgeoisie performing a finite set of actions behind an invisible fourth wall, unable to leave the parlor room.īut “the devil is in the details”-thin and familiar interior elements that signal the inmates’ relative lack of freedom. But in the words of a Halden inmate, “The real issue is freedom, which is taken away from you. Much has already been written of Halden’s cells, decorated with designer furniture, flat-screen TVs, and unbarred windows, and the prison’s communal amenities, including workshops, game rooms, open kitchens, a sound studio, a library, a rock-climbing wall, and forested paths. Its architecture exemplifies a contemporary Scandinavian vernacular of formal restraint, simplicity, and muted palette. As opposed to the labyrinthine American model based on physical constraints, from handcuffs to the Supermax, Halden’s design involves a sleight of hand, culminating in an outer wall camouflaged by trees. Whether this proves Hannah Arendt’s point, writing of the Eichmann trial, “on the banality of evil,” or the tormenting efficacy of a reward system built on a foundation of large and small daily humiliations, remains to be seen.īreivik’s complaints belie the overall comforts of the Norwegian system.
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Breivik, who was held during his trial at Ila Prison, a former Nazi concentration camp, has taken to protesting the deprivations of his incarceration-including, in his eyes, poor access to video games-and making daily demands for more walks and monetary allowance, and fewer body searches. The Norwegian penal system, which boasts a low recidivism rate of 20%, prioritizes the human rights of its inmates, even those of the notorious Anders Behring Breivik.
The architects state that, “Nature is actively involved as a social rehabilitative factor in the architecture…the opportunity to follow seasonal changes helps to clarify the passage of time for the inmates.” Although simple, the interior furnishings are modern and inviting safety glass is used so bars can be avoided and shared living and food-preparation spaces are included to encourage cooperation between inmates and simulate a sense of normal, everyday life to prepare for release.
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Long vertical windows maximize the light that enters the cells, and the green surroundings are easily viewed through generous fenestration in common areas. A central tenet of the design brief was the rehabilitation of prisoners in order to decrease recidivism, and this is reflected in the plan, interior design, and external landscaping. Completed in 2010, Halden is a high-security facility that houses 250 of Norway’s toughest criminals. It was designed by Erik Møller Architects and HLM Architects after an invited architectural competition initiated by the Norwegian Department of Justice and Statsbygg, the government agency responsible for real estate. From the curators: Halden Prison is located in Østfold, in southern Norway, and is, according to some, perhaps the world’s most humane prison.