Abstract
Serving a sentence has two purposes in Norway; it is a punishment for a crime and it is considered as an opportunity for rehabilitation to prevent repeated crime. This presupposes that all prisoners have access to activities and common rooms in the prisons. Interviews with prisoners with hearing or mobility impairments showed that accessibility is a problem in many prisons. The experiences of prisoners with hearing or mobility impairment show that lack of awareness and preparedness for their situation causes isolation as well as a decline in physical and mental health. Some prisons had cells partially adapted for prisoners with disabilities – and these were mostly located in high-security units. A majority of Norwegian prisons have some experience with disabled prisoners, but there are no systems for knowledge accumulation or sharing within the Norwegian Correctional Service. Lack of accessibility also deprived some disabled prisoners of their legal right to progression of the conditions for serving their...
Highlights
Serving a sentence has two purposes in Norway; it is a punishment for a crime and it is considered as an opportunity for rehabilitation to prevent repeated crime
On the basis of these experiences, we ask whether disabled prisoners risk serving sentences under more severe conditions than other prisoners
A search for literature and previous research on disabled prisoners in Norway showed that some knowledge existed on prisoners with mental disorders and cognitive, intellectual or medical impairments in Norwegian prisons, and that these groups are both overrepresented and underserved (Friestad and Hansen 2004; Hartvig and Østberg 2004; Ministry of Justice 2009; Rasmussen, Almvik, and Levander 2001; Rua 2009; Sivilombudsmannen 2010; Stortingsmelding 37 (2007–2008); Søndenaa 2009)
Summary
Serving a sentence has two purposes in Norway; it is a punishment for a crime and it is considered as an opportunity for rehabilitation to prevent repeated crime This presupposes that all prisoners have access to activities and common rooms in the prisons. Norwegian prisons are part of this penal ideology, and serving a sentence in Norway has two purposes: it is a punishment for a crime a person has been found guilty of, while it is considered as an opportunity for personal rehabilitation to prevent repeated crime in the future (Hammerlin 2008). On the basis of these experiences, we ask whether disabled prisoners risk serving sentences under more severe conditions than other (non-disabled) prisoners
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
