WANT TO BECOME PRISON OFFICERS

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.

Eleven different countries
Sixteen persons from Burundi, Belarus, Somalia, Morocco, Ghana, Jamaica, Egypt, India, Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan participated on the course. Common for all of them was their desire to become prison officers. Even if they complete the summer course, this is still no guarantee that a place at the Prison Training College will be offered them. Their applications will be dealt with on the same terms as for all other applicants.          - This is a unique opportunity, commented Soad Hirkjølen who previously worked as assistant occupational therapist at Oslo Prison. - But we do not want any special privileges, even though we are immigrants. If I am fortunate enough to get a place it must be because I have the necessary competence required by the Norwegian Correctional Services!

Low status
- Ramiz Bekir from Azerbaijan says that many of his countrymen are surprised by his desire to become a prison officer.

- They associate prison officers with authority and the worst forms of abuse of power. Prison officers are therefore frowned upon and looked down upon in our home country. He believes the same situation is true in many other countries, and that this explains why so few immigrants consider this excellent opportunity.

He has, himself, always wanted to work with people, and first considered a job within care of the elderly. But after accepting the opportunity to see what prison work entails, he feels now that this is the right kind of job for him.

Think-Tank
After a temporary job as assistant occupational therapist last year, Soad Hirkjølen wrote down her thoughts associated with how Norwegian prison sentences are administered. She sent them to Norway's Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget, but did not expect to receive a reply. Howeve, Knut Storberget had noticed particularly her letter, and she was invited to participate in a group entitled "Tappetaarnet" ('Think-Tank'). The group's task was to think afresh, freely and widely, about possible future forms of punishment for convicted criminals.
Soad Hirkjølen thought it was exciting to be able to join the 'Think-Tank' on this important issue.
- I want to contribute positively to Norwegian society, and the fact that I was given the opportunity to influence the content of the new government white paper on crime and the correctional services is really incredibly fantastic!