Norway converts prisoners into concerned environmentalists
Not content with topping the rankings on everything from quality of life to broadband access, those pesky Nordics are at it again, this time turning their prisoners into eco-friendly types. One of Norway’s lock-ups has become the world’s first “ecological prison”, it claims.
The prison, without locked gates or barbed wire, has often been compared to a summer camp, and now operates with solar panels, wood-fire heating instead of oil, strict recycling and ecological food production.
The idea is to help the roughly 115 prisoners learn important values, such as protecting the environment and respecting others, before they return to society.
“Our job is to create the best possible development opportunities for the individual, and lay the foundation for possible changes,” said Prison Director Oeyvind Alnaes.
