TYT: Norwegian Vs American Prison System

[ihavenobias]

Run time: 06:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgHdGr4aQoU   Posted on YouTube: July 29, 2011 By YouTube Member: TheYoungTurks Views on YouTube: 159   Posted on DU: July 29, 2011 By DU Member: ihavenobias Views on DU: 2698

 
Summary: Some claim the prisons in Norway are far too soft on criminals compared to the American system but how do the countries compare in the crime rate and recidivism categories? Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian break it down.

PS---http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1598306#1601337|5 Myths About Cenk Leaving MSNBC>.

[Diclotican]

1. ihavenobias

ihavenobias

Mr Breivik Will NEVER get out of prison, thats the case. Yes the prison system i Norway is little "luxurious" than in US, and in most of the world outside of Scandinavia. But in the case of mr Breivik, he Will for many years just be able to se the guards, and a few times a week, be able to look at the stars. Mostly because no one want him to be able to get out in the general population in prison.. Mostly because someone could be tempted to hurt, maim, or murder him outright.. A gang, who he claimed friendship with in the past, have even get a prize on his head, because he was tried to pass off as a friend of a leader in the gang (yes, even in Norway we do have gangs, even tho, it is far from what you have in the US) And also, because they want to "get him" for what he did, a week ago..

But, anyway, mr Breivik is for the moment in a prison cell, who are less than luxurious, the only thing he have, is a bed, a bathroom, and nothing more for the most part. The only persons he is talking to, is his attorney, the guards in the prison, and nothing more.. No TV, no PC, no newspapers.. Just him, the guards, and his attorney.. And he have to wait, at least to next year to get to a trial, as the evidences have to be documented, and they have to go true the whole case before it can get to trial. Then he can, in theory, drag it true all the appeals, to the highest Cort in land, to the sentence there.. And I mind you, on the public dime, as his attorney is paid for by the cort..

He wil not be hanged - he wil not be executed, but he wil more than posible, be in prison for the rest of his life. I belive that it would be a outrage if he ever was given freedom, even after 30 year behind the walls.. In fact I belive that a government could have been toupled if he was given freedom.. So even tho he might end up in a "luxcerious" prison cell, he wil never be a free man.. If he was - he would not live long after releasement.. And also, be totaly alone becouse no one would want to be known as a friend of HIM.. The friends he allready have, have turning their back on him, and are as outraged as the rest of the country, about why this happened...

Diclotican

[ejbr]

7. Thanks for the clarification of his status Diclotican

Although I find this to be an extremely disturbing case, I cannot imagine how you all are getting through this. Condolences.

[Diclotican]

8. ejbr

ejbr

It Is a extremely disturbing case, mostly becouse it have never been a case like this in Norway.. And I belive that most of us, are still little shocked, and the whole affair little to raw yet, to what we really belive to do next.. The whole of norway are still recoiling from the horrible act, and it wil take a long time to get true it all, all the different feelings, all the different emotions we are going true... For the moment I belive that most of us are just taking one day after the other, and are glued to the news to get information about what have happened.. (and in Norway we still have real news) But as the weeks, and months goes away, then we might get a better understanding of why he did what he did...

But, the fellow wil get his day in court, maybe not in the way he wanted,as I figure the court wil take the business serious, and not let the man be allowed to use the court as a show for his own madness about the world... Hopefully he wil be allowed to state his case, but not in the way he wanted.. Even Vidkun Qusling was not allowed to play the court as he wanted in 1945-46. And he was looking at the death penalty.... Breivik are just looking at life without parole..

Diclotican

[ejbr]

10. Wow...stay strong. n/t

[Nostalgic]

2. Just out of curiosity ...

how is "Breivik" correctly pronounced? I've heard reporters pronounce the "ei" as ei, rhyming with "hey", "way", etc. I've also heard it pronounced as é. But I'm sure I heard a Norwegian on TV pronounce it as ai, rhyming with "hi", "why", etc. or like "heil" in German. Which is correct?

[Diclotican]

5. Nostalgic

Nostalgic

Hm, difficult to explain on text:P.. But I guess the norwigian on TV pronuced it the best way... In the "german" way... Its is after all, a germanic language Norwigian.. And have also borrowed a lot of german words over the last 1000 years..

Diclotican

[Nostalgic]

12. Thanks Diclotican

:-)

[Lars77]

3. Mr. Breivik will not get much contact with other prisoners for his own safety.

That's additional punishment in a way. He does not strike me as a guy who needs human contact anyway, but reports say that the criminal underworld in Oslo, (yes we do have one), have put a bounty on his head in jail.

[Jemmons]

4. You shouldn't compare apples to oranges

The average alternative to an american prison celle is what - a cardboard box under a bridge?
Not so in Norway, where you can find opportunity if you look for it.

[Proles]

6. I do think it's rather soft on criminals, but I guess

you can't ignore the facts.

Norway is obviously doing something right if they have lower crime rates.

I do agree with the above though. In Norway, there's actually something called a middle-class where citizens can live decent lives. To us Americans (especially the poor), their prison cells actually seem quite cozy.

Of course, if we dared to become like Norway in America, people would scream "Socialism!!!." In essence, they are socialistic -- they have a socialist party after all, but it's not like their evil commies.

Anyways, I digress. I do suppose we should focus more on rehabilitation than punishment here in America, particularly if the prisoners are only in prison for several years..

[libodem]

9. Redo

Thank you for the stats. They prove a point.

[A Simple Game]

11. I would assume internal violence in Norwegian prisons is also much lower.

The fact that there are no life sentences gives everyone hope for release and a reason to behave.

Hope is a very powerful emotion, taking it away from someone can make a person feel they have nothing to lose.

The quality of the rooms seems nice, but they could be ten times nicer and they would still be in a prison.

[20score]

13. Ana's answer is not only more humane, it's also much smarter.

Our system takes people who shouldn't be in prison, who otherwise would have been what is called productive citizens, and make them angry criminals. It's not only inhumane, it's down right moronic.

We've gone from trying to rehabilitate, to just punish. Because of greedy people who buy soulless politicians, coupled with a childish electorate. (Causes a lot of other problems,too.)

[rms013]

14. US vs. the world

The US has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. The prison industrial complex (private prisons, prison guard unions, suppliers, those corporations that use prison labor at slave wages)encourage (to nice a word) the omnipresent drumbeat of punishment going so far as to promote legislation which would increase the prison population. Justice is lost to the desire for revenge and it is quite profitable.

In these prisons inmates are treated like animals. They become universities for criminal behavior. When they are released into society they are branded and ostracized economically. Instead of rehabilitation they are further crippled by a society/justice system that would rather throw them away. 60% of those incarcerated are non violent offenders. It costs approximately $47,000/ yr. to incarcerate a prisoner in California. It costs approximately $10,000/yr for tuition to the University of California.

On a personal note: About 14 years ago while my children were still in school I noticed the school district bringing in temporary classroom units. At around the same time I read that in period between 1989 and 1999 over 21 prisons were built in Ca and only one public university was built. I have also read the average correctional officers starting salary is $45,280.00/yr. Not including benefits. The average teacher starting salary in California is approx. $35,760.00.

Priorities?