ARCHIVES
All previous headlines - the most recent appear first
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This is one of the four new
visitors’ rooms. |
Our new Visitors Centre has already been in use for several months, and was officially opened by Norway’s Minister of Justice Knut Storberget on 5. September 2011. It is Prison Director Stig Storvik’s clear intention that it should not only be Norway’s, but perhaps the world's best prison visiting centre for children.
Read more.
(Published 09.09.11) |
Norway’s Minister of Justice,
Knut Storberget discusses
his
revised budget with one
of the inmates. |
Norway’s Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget, chose to present his Revised National Budget from the steps of Oslo Prison’s A Wing* (*known otherwise by locals, from popular Norwegian films, as the Olsen Gang Entrance). Like the fictive film gang, Knut Storberget also has a plan!
Read more.
(Published 19.05.11) |
This model arrived at the Ski
Museum, Holmenkollen,
Oslo almost before the
lacquer was dry! |
-Could you make a kind of rack to hang the 1000 home-knitted sleeves on? This was the question Trond Nilsen, at the Blacksmith’s Workshop of Oslo Prison, got just one week away from the start of the World Ski Championship in Oslo, Norway. So with eagerly rolled up cuffs himself, experienced as he is, he jumped at the challenge.
Read more.
(Published 25.02.11) |
Morthen Sørlie, chaplain at
Oslo Prison. |
CHRISTMAS BEHIND PRISON WALLS
In the midst of our busy city district there is a fortress surrounded by walls. Inside the walls there is a world the fewest of us have very much knowledge of. Oslo Prison is Norway’s largest prison and consists of three departments, A, B and C. Most of the inmates are in remand custody, and most of them are foreign citizens. We have met Morthen Sørlie, prison chaplain, who is relatively new to the job. He is about to experience his first Christmas behind the prison walls. The world of the prison is an entirely new experience for him. He serves Dept. B, previously known popularly as ’Bayern’, since once there was a brewery here!
Read more.
(Published 23.12.10) |
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Together with the popular Norwegian singer Henning Kvitnes and a country-rock band of top musicians from the US, Sweden and Norway, inmates from Oslo Prison formed the choir for a new Christmas record. The record has already received an overwhelming reception, achieving the highest score of all Christmas records – 5 out of six points from eleven of the country’s largest newspapers!
Read more.
(Published 13.12.10) |
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In the state budget for 2011 announced this week, the Norwegian government has recommended the allocation of funds to build a new Activity Centre at Oslo Prison. NOK 10 million has also been ear-marked for complete refurbishment of the current visiting facilities in Dept. B.
Read more.
(Published 06.10.10) |
Deputy Justice Minister in
Romania, Alina Mihaela Bica.
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Norway’s Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget and Deputy Minister Alina Mihaela Bica have signed an agreement permitting transfer between Norway and Romania of convicted persons serving sentences. A visit to Oslo Prison took place in this connection, and included a short tour of the prison facilities. The agreement was not surprisingly well received by most interested parties, although the two romanian inmates we met in Dept. A-2 were not exactly delighted when confronted with the news.
Read more.
(Published 23.09.10) |
Front page of the TIME number
published
12.07.2010, with the
article about the Norwegian
Correctional Services. |
During this summer, a lengthy article about the Norwegian Correctional Services was published in "TIME" magazine. Although TIME's journalist visited Bastøy Prison, Halden Prison and Sandaker Halfway House, the article also includes a wider account of Norway's methods for the treatment of criminal persons.
As always, it is interesting to read about our work through the eyes of foreigners, but this article makes me feel proud to be a part of the Norwegian Correctional Services.
Read more. |
 Minister of Culture Anniken
Huitfeldt looking tough
together with "Skio", one of
the rappers who performed
for her. |
It was very exciting to get a visit from the Minister of Culture in person, according to "Skio" one of the inmates wh
o performed with a self-made rap during the informal arrangement. The prison visit came about as a result of an initiative from the Minister of Culture Anniken Huitfeldt herself.
Read more.
(Published 06.07.10) |
Minister of Justice, Knut
Storberget, yesterday
presented the revised
National Budget at Oslo
Prison. |
Oslo Correctional Services has recently been allocated a total of NOK 40 million in Norway’s revised national budget. A part of these additional funds will be used to establish a new class at the Prison Officers’ Training Academy, the results of which will be particularly noticeable for Oslo Prison since the new class will be located here at Oslo Prison. Naturally, we are very pleased for this decision and the opportunity it provides to strengthen our manpower situation.
Read the press release from the Ministry of Justice and the Police here.
(Published 12.05.10) |
Jahn Otto Johansen |
Almost 100 persons met up in the staff canteen to hear a lecture on gypsies given by the famous Norwegian personality Jahn Otto Johansen. Whether it was hunger for knowledge or the senior Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s (NRK) legendary status that drew the crowd remains unknown, but Jahn Otto delivered, that’s for sure!
Read more.
(Published 18.02.10) |
Nurse Hanne Fristad
together with program
presenter
Jonna Støme. |
Last year Oslo Prison was invited to participate in the popular ‘Showbiz’ program on the Norwegian National TV Channel, NRK. In each weekly program, the program presenters visit different workplaces in order to select Showbiz participants from among the employees. In the course of just two days, and with the help of a professional singing instructor and a choreographer, the employees have to learn both a song and a dance routine. Our own team competed against a team from Oslo Plaza Hotel and the episode in which we competed was broadcast last Friday.
Read more.
(Published 25.03.09) |
Extract from ’Medal Of
Honor’,a painting by Fatma
Issa Holm. |
On Tuesday, our Assistant Workshop Foreman, Fatma Issa Holm, travelled to Kenya to exhibit her paintings at The National Museum of Kenya in Mombasa. But before she left, inmates participating in the prison’s MAKIS program were given a preview of their foreman’s new art project: “The Obama Collection”.
Read more.
(Published 20.11.08)
View all the paintings here. |
Elisabeth Werp, artist in
confinement. |
Artist Elisabeth Werp was feeling locked-up and confined in her art studio and began to wonder what it was like to be really locked up. She contacted Oslo Prison and was granted access. This led to an emotional meeting between the artist and inmates that culminated in an exhibition entitled “On the Inside”. The exhibition consists of 14 portraits of inmates. These are displayed together with an art video in which some of the recordings were made at the prison.
The exhibition may be viewed at Galleri Trafo in Asker, west of Oslo, until 25. October.
Read more.
(Published 16.10.08) |
The combination of barbed
wire
and wire netting allows
the pictures
to project an
extra strong impression. |
In connection with presentation of the new government white paper on criminology, photographer Fin Serck-Hanssen was invited by the Norwegian Ministry of Justice to take photos inside Norwegian prisons. Besides Oslo Prison he has visited seven other prisons to photograph inmates, buildings and other motives. The pictures are now displayed inside the walls of Oslo Prison. But the exhibition has limited availability – you have exactly six hours, spread over three Sundays, to experience it!
Read more.
(Published 03.10.08)
The exhibition is open to the public from 12:30 until 14:30 on Sunday 5. 12. and 19. October. |
Knut Storberget, Norway’s
Minister of Justice,
presented the new
parliamentary white paper. |
-Here at Oslo Prison, we have been in the business of effectuating punishments for more than 150 years. Prison and the administration of sentences is an area that governments and authorities across the world experience to be a difficult challenge. More and more people are imprisoned, and more and more prisons are built to accommodate them. But still no one knows for sure how prisons should really function in order to rehabilitate the inmates.
These were the opening words of Prison Director, Øyvind Alnæs, at the arrangement held in Oslo Prison, where the new parliamentary white paper on prison welfare and probation was presented last Friday.
Read more.
(Published 29.09.08) |
Øyvind Alnæs, the new
director of Oslo Prison. |
Øyvind Alnæs is the man to take over during Are Høidal’s leave of absence. Alnæs takes up his position on 1. September and will serve as Acting Director for a period of eighteen months. We were curious as to how he is, and therefore decided to meet him in a local cafe in Oslo Prison’s local district of Grønland, for a short portrait interview.
Read more.
(Published 08.08.08) |
"Munin", one of two
sailboats, each with 5 sets
of oars, used for the
expedition. |
For the third year in a row, Oslo Red Cross Net-working Team arranged a sailing trip which this year went along Norway’s Helgeland coastline. The participants consisted of both inmates, released prisoners, employees and voluntary workers. The boats used were two traditional sailboats each with 5 sets of oars.
"Watch out, we’re sinking!" and "Set the throat (sail)!" were expressions which caused considerable laughter at the start, but after just a few days the orders were carried out systematically and obediently.
Read more.
(Published 25.07.08) |
Anne Marie Tannæs in
action. |
Anne Marie Tannæs was invited to Oslo prison to talk about HSE and the Norwegian Work Environment Act.
This theme doesn’t normally generate tremendous enthusiasm among our run of the mill prison officers, but we
managed all the same to gather more than 100 employees in our concert hall to hear this “fire-cracker” of a lady.
And she did not disappoint us!
Read more.
(Published 09.06.08) |
Roger, with his invitation to
The Gold Route Show in
Bergen. |
‘The Prison Choir’ is a TV reality series from Oslo Prison produced by Nordic Film and broadcasted on the TV Norge channel last Autumn. The series failed to achieve expected viewing audiences, but this nomination is a positive acknowledgement of a series which had deserved many more viewers. We have spoken with Roger who has been chosen to represent the choir at the award ceremony in Bergen on 10. May.
Read more.
(Published 02.05.08) |
Are Høidal carries out the very last box from his office.
. |
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.
Read more.
(Published 15.04.08)
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Deputy Minister of Justice in
the Republic of Lithuania,
Egle Radusyte. |
- It is unbelievably clean and tidy here, replied Lithuania’s Deputy Minister of Justice, Egle Radusyte, when asked what she had especially noticed during her tour of Oslo Prison.
Egle Radusyte was leading a delegation of six persons from the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice who came to Oslo to get an impression of how the criminal administration system works in Norway.
Read more.
(Published 07.03.08) |
Norway’s Minister for
Local
Governmental Affairs,
Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa. |
- You probably remember that I met some of you in the Church of Jacob during last year’s Award Ceremony when I listened to what you presented there? Anyway, I thought I ought to come and visit you all here to find out more about this, commented Norway’s Minister for Local Governmental Affairs, Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa, when explaining why she took the initiative to visit the TOG Dept. at Oslo Prison.
It was during November last year that the TOG Dept. was awarded the Government New Initiatives Prize for homeless persons, by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa. On Friday 22nd February she came to learn more. (TOG is a Norwegian abbreviation which stands for Initiatives for Repeat Offenders)
Read more .
(Published 24.02.08) |
A proud Minister of Justice
was able to confirm that
measures to reduce the
queue had indeed achieved
the desired effect. |
- The queue of persons waiting to serve prison sentences is rapidly shortening, according to an unmistakably clear message from Norway’s Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget, at a press conference held at Oslo Prison yesterday. For the first time in 10 years, the number of persons in the queue stands now at less than 1000. This long-awaited achievement was celebrated in the traditional manner over freshly brewed coffee and traditional Norwegian marzipan-coated, fresh cream cake, in the company of trade union leaders Geir Bjørkly (NFF) and Knut Svenkerud (KY).
Read more.
(Published 15.02.08) |
The deformed jelly figures in
’The Pathfinders’ logo,
symbolize the different areas
of life participants must
work with. |
Responsible, reliable, sympathetic, honest and serious. We have to admit, these are not words used all too often to describe inmates of Oslo Prison! But when five inmates from ’The Pathfinders’ programme (Norwegian: ’Stifinnern’) prepare themselves to leave prison, these are some of the accolades justifiably bestowed upon them to encourage them forward on their journey ahead.
’The Pathfinders’ has existed for 15 years. Now more people than ever choose to make use of this unique activity.
Read more.
(Published 25.01.08) |
A clearly satisfied Kjetil as
he confirms that the poems
he wrote while in MASH six
years ago, still decorate the
walls there. |
Just before Christmas, we celebrated our tenth anniversary for MASH (Many Activities Secure Help) - one of the most successful professional initiatives that have ever been implemented at Oslo Prison. Directed at a group of inmates that represent a significant combined challenge for the Norwegian Correctional Services, inmates who experience difficulties in coming to terms with their prison sentences, MASH has played an important role in the professional developments achieved at Oslo Prison during recent years, not least through its focus on user perspectives and its practical approach.
Read more.
(Published 02.01.08) |
Knut Storberget, Minister of
justice - Norway, and Are
Høidal, Director of Oslo
Prison, in front of the entrance to
“Benny butikk”. |
NORWAY'S MINISTER OF JUSTICE GOES BARGAIN HUNTING
-Strikes lucky on several counts...
Norway’s Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget, recently took his annual trip to Oslo Prison’s shop in his hunt for Christmas gift bargains. The shop, known locally as “Benny butikk”, sells hand-crafted goods produced by inmates of Oslo Prison and a local prison for female inmates. Behind the counter, "Kjell" (convicted for car-theft) stands ready to serve alcohol-free mulled wine. But he was more concerned with being released before Christmas than the wine! For the first time, it is now possible for some of the inmates who have participated in making the goods, to participate in selling them too.
Read more.
(Published 15.12.07) |
Coat of arms of Morocco. |
In connection with the muslim tradition of Ramadan fasting, the Moccoccon Embassy wised to treat the inmates of Oslo Prison with an extra supper. Not only our muslim inmates, but every one of our 392 inmates benefited from this generosity.
Read more
(Published 27.09.07) |
The gift was a Swiss knife
with an inscription for the
ocassion. |
Every year all prison directors in Switzerland participate in a week's study tour abroad, the purpose of which is to gather further professional knowledge and inspiration. This time around they chose Norway. During their stay they visited a number of sites, including the Prison Training Acedemy (KRUS), Bastøy Prison, and us here at Oslo Prison.
Read more
(Published 18.09.07)
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The translater in work. |
If you are reading this you will have noticed the English flag on the home page og our website. All articles on our Norwegian pages are also to be found on our English pages. One of our inmates, who comes originally from England, is our regular translator. A big thank you to him for his continuous efforts on our behalf!
Our translator has also written about his personal experiences in a UK prison, comparing the situation, as he found it, between prison life for inmates in Norway and England.
Read more
(Published 14.09.07)
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Lyn Supporter
Svein Fjellstad
|
LYN FOOTBALL CLUB SUPPORTER
STRAPPED IN BED STRAIGHT-JACKET
The popular group 'Bjølsen Valsemølle' recently recorded their new music video here at Oslo Prison. The Norwegian Lyn Football Club Supporter they brought with them was actually supposed to have a different role in this, but when they saw the old bed in the prison museum, straps and all, the temptation was too big to resist …
Read more
(Published 06.09.07) |
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'Wayback' was this year’s winner, having been selected to present this year’s 'Serious Advertising' Campaign. The choice of which advertising agency is to be given the honour of creating the campaign will be decided through a competition, the kick-off of which was held on Thursday 30. August at Oslo Prison.
Read more
(Published 02.09.07) |
Direktør Are Høidal together
with three of the delegates.
|
For the third time this year, Oslo Prison was recently able to welcome yet another important delegation from China. This time our topic was community service orders and other alternative forms of punishment.
Read more
(Published 24.08.07) |
The identity of inmates
performing in the choir is
currently secret.
|
- a reality series from Oslo Prison, with nobody voted out...
The starting point of this series is a choir composed of inmates who have no previous musical experience. The teacher and conductor is Charlotte Fongen, an Opera Singer who believes that anyone can learn to sing. During a period of two months the choir learns to perform a repertoire of eight choir songs. The goal was to perform them on the prison exercise yard for other inmates.
Read more
(Published 13.07.07) |
Leader of the delegation,
Managing Director,
Mr. Xiao Shiming.
|
The Chinese are currently participating in numerous discussions with staff from institutions in western countries on the subject of punishment and sentencing conditions. Here at Oslo Prison we are proud of our methods, and our practices have attracted a good deal of recent attention. Last Thursday we were visited by a delegation of top leaders from Beijings' "Labour Camps".
Read more.
(Publisert 10.07.07) |
Senior Prison Officer, Said
Mohamed Ahmed, welcomed
the course participants.
|
In order to recruit more prison officers with a multicultural background, the Norwegian Prison Training College arranged a three months course this summer. The goal of the course was to ensure that potential applicants were better qualified for successful entry to the college. To get a better impression of the various activities on the inside of the prison walls, all of the 16 course participants visited Oslo Prison last week.
Read more.
(Published 25.06.07) |
Reidar Faanes, newly
appointed prison chaplain.
|
… and the ordination ceremony was conducted by Cathedral Dean - Olav Dag Hauge. It is already three months since Reidar Faanes commenced in his new position at Oslo Prison; however, a simple ordination ceremony was held last week, with several invited guests.
Read more.
(Published 10.05.07) |
Directeur-generaal Hans
Meurisse and director Are
Høidal. |
We feel extremely proud that the choice fell upon Oslo Prison when the top management of the Belgian Correctional Services decided on the location for their study trip. They spent two days here with us, during which the main themes covered were Balanced Scorecards management steering and our project for prisoners on remand.
Our visitors from Belgium also received a comprehensive tour of Oslo Prison, and even though we experienced that we have a lot in common, there were a number of noticeable differences between Norwegian and Belgian prisons.
Read more.
(Published 30.04.07)
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Steinar Lem began with an
enthralling delivery.
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A gang of very enthusiastic inmates attacked tasks associated with the challenges of the environment, here in the prison education department last week. Three days were allocated to the project which was kicked-off by Al Gore and Steinar Lem.
Read more.
(Published 25.04.07) |
Are Høidal,10 years as
Director of Oslo Prison. |
OSLO PRISON - 10 years as an independent unit
1. April 2007 marked 10 years since major restructuring which led to Oslo Prison becoming an independent unit with its own director. Are Høidal has been prison director throughout all these years - a period of substantial re-organization and changes, both professionally and structurally. Read Are Høidal's account and reflections on the development of the prison during the last 10 years.
Read more.
(Published 24.04.07)
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Askild Holm in his Johnny
Cash shirt.
|
We could hardly have been closer to the atmosphere generated by the film "Walk The Line", when Johnny Cash renders 'Folsom Prison Blues' in San Quentin State Prison. Popular Norwegian Artist, Askild Holm's guest performance, together with the girl band 'Venjas Harem', provided a never forgotten ending to the arrangement entitled "Music in prison and in freedom" at Oslo Prison. As well as inmates, many invited guests and a large representation from the press also attended.
Read more.
(Published 30.03.07) |
The seminar was held in the
canteen at Oslo Prison. |
Balanced Scorecards:
The Foreign Department, State Auditing Department, Justice Department …, all were represented Are Høidal, Director of Oslo Prison, Norway, opened a seminar entitled ”Balanced Scorecards in Practice” in the canteen of Oslo Prison on Wednesday 21st. March. The significant interest from other organizations was not least due to all the praise and attention directed at the Director of Oslo Prison and the Prison Staff after receiving the prestigious Government Centre for Economic Management (SSOE) Prize for 2007. Today the prison is regarded as an national and international reference within organizational and scorecard management.
Read more.
(Published 21.03.07)
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Knut Storberget, Norway's
Justice Minister, with the
three previous Justice
Ministers: Mona Røkke, Helen
Bøsterud and Kari Gjesteby.
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To mark the start of work on a new government white paper, a kick-off meeting was held at Oslo Prison. Knut Storberget, current Justice Minister, had invited all previous Justice Ministers, since the publication of the Criminal White Paper published in 1978, to seek their advice and contributions to the new white paper.
Read more.
(Published 01.03.07)
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The Norwegian Championship in Indoor Bandy for prison inmates was held during the weekend of 16. and 17. February at Norway's College of Physical Education. All in all 20 teams participated. The final match was between Oslo and Ullersmo prisons, with the home side winning.
Read more.
(Published 20.02.07)
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Sunrise in Shanghai. |
Oslo Prison was recently represented during a conference on ”Prison Reform” in China. The conference was held on 27. and 28. January in the town of Changzhou in Jiangsu province, not far from Shanghai, and was part of the Chinese prison reform programme. Oslo Prison was invited to participate and to present its project: ”Quality in Remand Custody Work" - a project which was initiated by the Director of Oslo Prison in the year 2000, and which, since this time, has been further developed in cooperation between Oslo Prison and the Norwegian Correctional Services' Education Centre.
Read more.
(Published 08.02.07)
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Inspector Tom Eberhardt
was interviewed by NRK
News
Staff.
|
Recently, Oslo Prison has appeared in the news on frequent occasions. This time the theme was 'children in prison'. Previously, the only initiative for this group has been 'Stifinnern junior' (Junior Pathfinders) here at Oslo Prison.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's (NRK) Saturday evening news staff were here to interview Inspector Tom Eberhardt, who is responsible for the project, and a young inmate that has been in custody for over a year at 'Stifinnern junior' (Junior Pathfinders).
To view the news item, log into NRK's own news archive by clicking here.
(Published 29.01.07)
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Director Are Høidal received
the prize on behalf of Oslo
Prison.
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The Government Agency for Financial Management (SSØ) has today awarded Oslo Prison the prize for best organizational initiative in 2007. The tool deployed was Balanced Scorecards. By utlilizing this management steering system, the prison has managed to improve the efficiency of its operations, improve the internal environment and reduce costs. The prize was awarded by Norway's Minister of Finace, Kristin Halvorsen.
Read more.
(Published 18.01.07) |
Director Are Høidal.
Prosject Leader Stian Estenstad.
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Red Cross has initiated a project entitled: "Network after imprisonment". On Saturday 6. January the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) screened a long bulletin dealing with how this project functions at Oslo Prison. In addition to interviews with Prison Director, Are Høidal, and Project Leader, Stian Estenstad, we met a previous inmate and a volunteer from the Red Cross.
To view the news bulletin, click into NRK's news archive here.
(Publisert 09.01.06) |
Two central sentrale persons
in remand custody work,
Trond Danielsen (KRUS) and
Vegard Karlsen (Oslo Prison). |
This is really old news, but we are so proud of this prize that we wish to highlight it here on our new web-pages too!
It was back in October 2005 that Oslo Prison and the Norwegian Correctional Services Education Centre (KRUS) were awarded an international prize for their efforts focused on remand custody. The Prize was awarded in Vancouver at the annual conference of the "Correction And Prison Association" (ICPA).
Read more at the following links:
Aktuell and Kriminalomsorgen. (Only in norwegian).
(Published 15.12.06)
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.Knut Storberget, Norway's
Minister of Justice, cuts the
ribbon.
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The opening of Oslo Prison's annual Christmas Bazaar was conducted by Knut Storberget, Norway's Minister of Justice. All goods on sale have been produced by inmates at Oslo Prison and Bredtveit Prison for Women. Knut Storberget was particularly impressed by what he was shown. He had allocated plenty of time, and used the opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts for close relatives.
Read more.
(Published 12.12.06) |
From our previous web
design.
|
Our web-pages have been neglected. For this we apologise. We have now freshened them up and promise to keep them regularly updated.
Many new pages will appear during forthcoming months. Our goal is to provide good information to everyone wishing to learn more about our work here at Oslo Prison.
(Published 01.12.06) |
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