Are Høidal, Director of Oslo Prison, recently commenced a two year period of leave in order to take up a temporary position as Assistant Director of the Norwegian Criminal Administration Services (Eastern Region). After 11 years as Director for Oslo Prison, he had mixed feelings about the move as he packed personal belongings in his office and carried out the very last box.
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Text and Photo: Knut-Erik Rønningen, published 15.04.08.
- It’s sad of course to leave such a great work-place, comments Are Høidal. – But we now have a good, tight-knit leader team, and so I feel comfortable about handing over the reins to others. – But it will undoubtedly feel strange to co come back here and see another person sitting in my office, he admitted.
From Summertime Temporary Worker to Director
Are Høidal began his prison career as a temporary worker during the summer of 1983, and continued as a ‘temp’ until he had completed his law studies in 1987. His first job was as Prison Board caseworker. After holding several leading positions at district level, he returned as Director of Oslo Prison when the prison was re-structured as an independent organization on 1. April 1997.
Professional focus
Replying to questions on what he remembers best from his eleven year period as Director, he mentioned first and foremost the professional developments that have taken place. - The introduction of the Personal Officer role, program activities, methodical approaches to work and more goal-oriented change processes. – And in 2001 we started with the new Department Leader role in order to achieve better continuity between employee and leader, mentioned Are Høidal in his summing up. – This was an important move. – First professionalism, then better coordinated teams through joint presence during each working day.
Work tasks
As leader for the sentence implementation section in the Eastern Region of Norway, Are Høidal will mainly focus on acedemic and professional developments. – Probation services will be a somewhat new area for me, he mentions. - Strengthening cooperation between prison and probation will be one of my most important tasks. Among numerous other new work tasks, Are Høidal will also have responsibility for planning the content and structure of the new prison currently being built in Halden, Norway.
Things fail after release
Are Høidal believes the main focus ahead will be cooperation between different public authorities, and the direct involvement of other public authorities in activities associated with release from prison. – There are a lot of good things happening in different prison establishments, he comments. – But after release from prison no-one is waiting to receive an ex-prisoner. In spite of all the focus on professional developments, the recall percentage for ex-prisoners has failed to decrease by noticeable levels during recent years. – This has nothing to do with established activities related to the care and welfare of prisoners, according to Are Høidal. – It has rather to do with failures arising after release from prison, he concludes. There is, therefore, a considerable level of expectation regarding the resettlement guarantee included in the new government white paper on the Norwegian Correctional Services, due to be published this summer. Are Høidal has also made contributions in this connection, through his participation in two working groups that have both submitted recommendations to the new white paper.
Read Are Høidal’s own summing up in connection with his 10 year’s jubileum last year here.
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