![pi_fp_norvegefr.png](/assets/f1440x800-q70/ba5670bb/pi_fp_norvegefr.png)
Norway
Capital city — Oslo
Country population
i2022Incarceration rate (per 100,000 inhabit…
i01/05/2023Type of government
Human Development Index
0.961(2/191)
iHomicide rate (per 100,000 inhabitants)
Name of authority in charge of the pris…
i(JD, Justis- og beredskapsdepartementet)Total number of prisoners
i05/2023Average length of imprisonment (in mont…
i2020/ Conseil de l’Europe, SPACE I – Rapport 2021, p. 124, table 31.Prison density
i08/2022Total number of prison facilities
33consisting of 58…
An NPM has been established
Female prisoners
i08/2023Incarcerated minors
i03/2023Percentage of untried prisoners
i2022Death penalty is abolished
Living conditions
Accommodation
The law establishes a minimum standard for living space per prisoner
no
The law does not specify a minimum surface area per person. The standard, in practice, is 6 m2. Most cells have a surface area of 8 to 10 m2. They are furnished1.
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), “Report to the Norwegian Government on the visit to Norway (from 28 to 5 June 2018)”, 2019, p. 38. ↩
Prisoners are accommodated in single cells
in most institutions
Prisoners sleep on
- a bed
- bunk beds
All the prisoners are provided with bedding
The cells/dormitories are provided with electric lighting
yes
The cells/dormitories are equipped with heating and/or air conditioning
in most cases
Heating and air-conditioning systems in older buildings are often defective.
Prisoners can smoke
- in the cell
- in communal spaces
Inmates are allowed to smoke outside in communal areas.
Hygiene
Prisoners have access to water
- in their cell
- outside of their cell
Showers are located in the cells/dormitories
in some facilities
Only cells in newer facilities have showers.
Access to the showers is restricted when they are communal and outside the cells.
Prisoners at Oslo prison report insufficient showering time. Within this facility, as many as 27 men have to share a single shower situated in the communal area of the wing.
Types of sanitary facilities
WC
Sanitary facilities are clean, adequate and accessible
in most facilities
Some older institutions are still not equipped with toilets in the cells, including women’s facilities or units. The NPM says that the toilet partitioning fitted in the cells in Kragerø Women’s Prison does not reach the floor or ceiling. Privacy is not guaranteed1. The cells are usually locked up at 7pm. Access to outside sanitary facilities can be difficult at night.
Sivilombudsmannen (Norwegian Parliamentary Ombudsman), “Women in Prison: a thematic report about the conditions for female prisoners in Norway”, 2017, p. 23. ↩
The prison service provides personal hygiene products free of charge
yes
The prison service provides cleaning products free of charge
yes
Beddings are refreshed
yes
Bedding is changed once every one to two weeks.
Prisoners wear their own clothing. Relatives can send them by mail or new clothes can be purchased through the facility.
A laundry is available in each prison. It may be a laundry service or individual depending on the size of the facility.
The prison administration organizes the cleaning of the facilities differently depending on their type.
Closed facilities delegate one prisoner per wing with the cleaning of the common areas. Open facilities leave the organization of cleaning to the inmates. Inmates are always responsible for the cleanliness of their cells.
Food
Drinking water is free and available in all areas of the facilities
Number of meals per day
4
The number of meals per day is the traditional number in Norway:
- breakfast
- lunch (hot dish)
- dinner (served just at the end of the working day)
- cold snack (usually bread and cold meat)
Food services are managed by
the prison administration
The prison service is required to meet nutritional standards regarding quality and quantity
The prison service provides food that respects special dietary needs
The alternative meal options are based on religion, philosophy and any medical requirements. Prison inmates may ask the staff about the ingredients used in the dishes.
Prisoners eat their meals in
- in their cell
- in a communal space
Most prisoners share meals in a dedicated area. Breakfast and dinner are taken in the unit. Lunch is taken in the canteen of the facility.
Prisoners assigned to an old facility take their meals in their cells, in the absence of a canteen. This is also the case for persons in solitary confinement and most remand prisoners.
Prisoners can buy food products
Prisoners can generally buy foodstuffs once a week. They place an order to the outside, in the absence of inside trade. The small size of many prisons leads to prisoners purchasing goods from local shops.
Prisoners can have access to a refrigerator
yes
Prisoners have a refrigerator in their cell or in their block’s communal kitchen.
Prisoners are allowed to cook in their cells or in a shared space
in most facilities
In many facilities, inmates can prepare their meals in the communal kitchen of their block.
Part of the prisoner's food is produced by the prison
in some facilities
Very few establishments allow on-site food production.