Well there is one key statistic missing from the article - what is the recidivism rate in Norway compared to the US? They focus on rehabilitation and reintegration, we in the US focus on punishment and deterrence.
Here's some food for thought
Recidivism rates in NorwayRecidivism statistics
From 1874 to the end of the century the Ministry of Justice investigated recidivism among persons who served more than six months in jail. A most comprehensive study of recidivism was performed among people released from prison between 1923 and 1926. Their recidivism was studied over a period of 10 years after their release from prison. A similar investigation conducted among those released between 1933 and 1936 was limited to those released after serving time for their first conviction and to a three-year period after their release. In addition to investigations among ex-convicts, from 1903 to 1950 the Ministry of Justice regularly compiled overviews of the rate of recidivism among parolees given conditional sentences.
In 1954 the preparation of recidivism statistics was assigned to Statistics Norway, which has since conducted three investigations about recidivism among those convicted, those subject to fines and those for whom prosecution was suspended. Current statistics have also been established on the recidivism rate among those facing criminal charges.
The investigations among those convicted, those subject to fines and those for whom prosecution was suspended included people found guilty of crimes in 1951, 1957 and 1962. Their recidivism situation (new convictions, ticket fines or suspensions of prosecution for crimes) was registered in all the investigations registered within a five-year period of freedom, broken down by the type of original sanction.
The recidivism statistics for those charged with crimes are based on information in the police statistics regarding those charged with crimes. Recidivism includes new charges for crimes during the subsequent three-year period. The calculations on the rate of recidivism make no adjustment for preventive measures or for the accused previous criminal record. The results must therefore be viewed as simple indicators of the recidivism situation. However, the recidivism statistics among those charged with crimes are our only source of comparative figures on recidivism trends over a number of years and up to the present.
In the 32 years covered by recidivism statistics for those charged of crimes, it has become increasingly common for the persons charged to commit new crimes. While 23 per cent of those charged with crimes in 1957 incurred new charges for crimes during the subsequent three-year period, the comparable figure in 1989 was 44 per cent. The increase in the rate of recidivism was very pronounced in the years from 1957 to 1969. In the 1980s, the recidivism rate fluctuated between 40 and 45 per cent for all those charged with crimes.
Up to 1971 it was the youngest offenders, persons under the age of 14 who had been charged with crimes, who had the highest rate of recidivism. Since then, the percentage of repeaters has been greatest in the 14-20 age group. The recidivism rate among persons charged with crimes who belong to the 21-39 age groups closed in on the rate for 14-20-year olds in the 1980s, catching up with the latter age group in 1988 and 1989.
1 In association with the Alcohol Statistics prepared by Statistics Norway, separate statistics on drunkenness offenses were introduced in 1913, and statistics on breaches of alcohol legislation were introduced in the 1920s. In 1930 statistics began to be kept on cases involving motor vehicles. These three separate statistical categories were discontinued in 1978.
Recidivism rates in the US:Two studies come closest to providing "national" recidivism rates for the United States. One tracked 108,580 State prisoners released from prison in 11 States in 1983. The other tracked 272,111 prisoners released from prison in 15 States in 1994. The prisoners tracked in these studies represent two-thirds of all the prisoners released in the United States for that year.
Rearrest within 3 years
* 67.5% of prisoners released in 1994 were rearrested within 3 years, an increase over the 62.5% found for those released in 1983
* The rearrest rate for property offenders, drug offenders, and public-order offenders increased significantly from 1983 to 1994. During that time, the rearrest rate increased:
- from 68.1% to 73.8% for property offenders
- from 50.4% to 66.7% for drug offenders
- from 54.6% to 62.2% for public-order offenders
* The rearrest rate for violent offenders remained relatively stable (59.6% in 1983 compared to 61.7% in 1994).
So maybe they are doing something right. These statistics seem to suggest so.
