The background is that there is a large maintenance backlog in the sector, and that forecasts have been made regarding the needs for prison capacity in the long term.
The report proposal means that four prisons are also built on new sites, and that 23 prisons and transitional housing are kept as they are today. The four proposed new prisons are located in Vestfold/Buskerud, Møre and Romsdal, and in Haugalandet and Helgeland.
Mehl will not lay down
However, Justice and Emergency Services Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) rejects that 16 prisons should be closed as proposed in the report.
– This is not relevant now. Prisons such as Fauske, Kragerø, Kongsvinger and Ålesund are important workplaces and contribute to a prison structure with a wide range of services. The exception is Hamar, where, in line with local wishes, we have announced closure when a new prison is ready at Ilseng in a few years, says Mehl in a press release.
The forecasts state, among other things, that a “moderate” increase in capacity is needed in the long term, and that there must be a few more places at a low security level once morest a few fewer at a high security level.
Old buildings
Many of the prisons that are proposed to be closed down are old buildings, often from the 19th century. These are often located in the city center where it is difficult to obtain new areas that satisfy the needs of modern correctional services.
Most of these prisons are proposed to be closed down. Oslo prison is the most famous of these, and it has already been decided to close down and be replaced by three other high-security wards.
– Many of today’s prisons are in need of upgrading or replacement. The government will build a new high-security prison at Ilseng and in Oslo, while expanding the capacity at Ullersmo. We are also investigating a new women’s prison to replace Bredtveit. Now we will look further at needs in the rest of the country, says Mehl.
Proposes to close down 1,000 places
The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness is responsible for the report together with the Ministry of Digitalization and Administration, which is responsible for Statsbygg.
Altogether, the proposals for closures and conversions of double rooms to single rooms end up removing over 1,000 out of 3,800 places. The need presented in the future is for 4,000 places, and this is therefore proposed to be covered through new prisons and extensions.
The report refers to an earlier price estimate for closing the maintenance backlog. Statsbygg has estimated that it will cost 6–9 billion kroner in 2022 to upgrade the entire building mass to the best condition.
– By using the same overall method for maintenance backlog, it is stipulated that the recommended closures will be able to reduce the maintenance backlog by around NOK 2.7 billion, it says.
At the same time, this requires immediate action.
#Norwegian #Correctional #Service #Statsbygg #propose #close #prisons #Mehl
2024-04-23 19:29:35
