Bastøy Prison is a minimum-security prison on Bastøy Island, Horten, Norway, located 75 kilometres south of Oslo. The prison hosts 115 prisoners and has 70 workers, with only 5 remaining overnight. It is known for being one of the most humane prisons in the world. The facility can only be accessed by a ferry.
History
The Norwegian government bought the island in 1898 and built a juvenile detention centre in 1900. In 1915, the boys briefly took over the facility when 40 boys rallied around four youths who had escaped and been recaptured. The group refused to work, armed themselves with farming tools and stones, cut the telephone lines and then burned down the barn with stolen matches and cigars.
When instructors and guards failed to quell the riot, the military was called in. Over a hundred troops stormed the island. Also on scene were two seaplanes, two submarines, and the armored ship "Norway". Several of the boys escaped into the forest but were later recaptured. Eventually, the centre was shut down in 1970 and reopened as a prison in 1982.[1]
Prison
Now striving to be the "the first ecological prison in the world" and one of the most humane. Inmates live in wooden cottages and work at the prison farm, and in their free time can dine on food cooked by a chef, and enjoy a sauna, tennis courts, cross-country skiing and horseback riding. Reoffending rates have been reported at 16%, compared to a European average of around 70%.[2]
Only a handful of cars are used by prison staff on the island and along with the ferry, their engines will be converted to biofuel. The prison's six horses do most of the work, pulling carts driven by the prisoners, waste from the prison is used to generate power while oil heaters are being converted to wood.[3]
See Also
References
- ↑ Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastøy_Prison
- ↑ ~ The Guardian (2013) - Bastoy: the Norwegian prison that works
- ↑ ~ Environmental News Network (2006) - In Norway, Break the Law and Live by a Beach