– It’s like being judged all over again. I’m really scared, says inmate Mona. Just over a week ago, it was decided that the women’s ward she is serving time in will be closed. Mona, who is serving a ten-year sentence in Bergen, will be moved to Skien, where the men’s prison will be converted into a larger women’s prison. When she has to leave, she has no idea. Now Mona and the other women in Bergen fear losing the offer it has taken years to build up. They also fear who they will meet behind the walls in Skien. The concerns are shared by incarcerated women around the country, says Petrine Iversen. She heads Legal Counseling for Women (Jurk), which has worked with legal aid for female inmates for over 40 years. WELL-BEING: Inmate Mona in Bergen prison says she is doing well inside the walls. Much of the reason for that is the offers and privileges the women enjoy, such as swimming, riding or needlework. Photo: Linnea Skare Oskarsen / news Immediate action after years of criticism The prison conditions for the few women who serve time in high security in Norway have been criticized for a number of years (see fact box). In 2022, the correctional service recorded a sharp increase in self-harm among female inmates. That was one of the reasons why a working group was set up to come up with possible proposals for changes. Women in Norwegian prisons Only five to six percent of inmates in Norwegian prisons are women. Nevertheless, they are overrepresented in the statistics on self-harm. Figures from the correctional service show that in 212 out of 265 registered cases in 2022, it was women who carried out the self-harm. It is also almost exclusively women who are put in seat belts, figures from the correctional service show: 42 out of 43 times. Several reports from, among others, the Civil Ombudsman, the Discrimination and Equality Ombudsman have mapped outdated prison buildings, isolation and mentally ill inmates. in 2021, the first report came out that looked specifically at the mental health of female inmates. Among other things, it was pointed out that women are perceived as sicker than men and that they are isolated and/or thrown between psychiatry and prison. Women must, as far as possible, spend their time in prison in their own prisons or in prison wards designed for women separately from men. Four out of ten convicted women have been subjected to sexual abuse as children, and six out of ten imprisoned women state that they have been subjected to rape as adults. The European Commission determines that special efforts aimed at protecting women’s rights do not constitute discrimination against men. The UN Convention on Women’s Rights states that it is the state’s responsibility to eliminate discrimination against women in the area of health. Source: Correctional Service, UN, European Commission Then came a new discouraging report from the Civil Ombudsman in which the conditions at Bredtveit women’s prison are described as “critical” and “life-threatening”. It happens after inmates and staff witnessed a woman take her own life behind bars. Overall, the correctional service considered the situation for female inmates in high security to be urgent and the government adopted several immediate measures. One of them was to move women serving high security all over the country to Skien. – We believe it is necessary to move the women to ensure better prison conditions. Both to ensure equal punishment and to remove them from men. In addition, Skien prison has smaller housing units that are better for vulnerable women, says department director Heidi Bottolfs in the Directorate of Correctional Services (KDI). Exactly when the women will be moved is uncertain. First, new places must be found for the male prisoners sitting in Skien. In the longer term, KDI wants to look at various sentencing options, including a separate women’s prison in Western Norway. These inmates are moved to Skien When Skien prison is converted into a women’s prison, they will receive inmates from five other prisons. Bredtveit: 10 women are moved to Skien. Bergen: 12 women from the high security department are moved to Skien. The high-security department is being discontinued, except for four places for custody. Evje: The 10 women in the high-security department will be moved to Skien Kragerø: The women’s correctional facility will be discontinued. The ski replaces the 18 high-security places there. Stavanger: 13 women are moved to Skien, and the women’s prison is discontinued. Trondheim: 11 places on high security are preserved due to suitable conditions, according to KDI. Source: The Directorate of Correctional Services (KDI) Moved because they serve time with men Female inmates are not supposed to serve time together with men, but 23 women in Bergen and Stavanger do. It challenges the safety of women and is contrary to the principles of Norwegian correctional services. This is also emphasized by the government in its decision to move the women to prisons other than Bredtveit. But the move runs counter to another important principle in Norwegian penitentiary care: Inmates must, as far as possible, spend their time in the vicinity of residence and family outside the walls. KNITTING IN THE CELL: “Amalie” says her time in custody will be easier when she can do needlework. Photo: Linnea Skare Oskarsen / news Now women tell of a fear of losing important contact with their loved ones while they are serving time. – I think a lot about the possibility of getting visitors and being able to visit family. It also has something to do with my progression, that you have contact with family during this time. In custody, when you don’t have that option, it is therefore extra hard. That’s what mother of three “Amalie” says, who is in custody in Bergen. She wishes to remain anonymous for the sake of her family. – What we fear when inmates have to serve time far away from family and friends is that their rehabilitation will deteriorate, says Iversen in Jurk. Bottolfs in KDI says that the breach of the proximity principle is challenging, but to best ensure the women’s different needs, they must be removed from men’s prisons. KDI is now looking at compensatory measures such as visiting homes and increased call and video time. FAR AWAY: “Amalie”, who is from Møre og Romsdal, fears an even longer journey for those who want to visit. Photo: Linnea Skare Oskarsen / news Fears a tougher prison environment Mona in Bergen hopes that Skien can become a good women’s prison and that the ladies at Bredtveit will be better off. But she herself feels safe in Bergen and does not want to move. She and “Amalie” fear being moved into a harsher prison environment with more mentally ill women. – I fear the ladies from here will withdraw more for fear of their own safety and because of missing those closest to them, says Mona. – I felt that fear immediately. We hear rumors about how things are in Bredtveit. I hope they think about who to put together in the department, says “Amalie”. Iversen in Jurk believes that the concerns are justified and fears problems related to seriously mentally ill inmates simply being moved to a new prison. Bottolfs in KDI, on the other hand, claims that it will not be a tougher environment in Skien. She reasons that Skien has small departments that will ensure a good overview and close contact between inmates and staff. She also believes that the mentally ill will be better off there: – We have many women who have a challenging situation with mental disorders in the prisons. By establishing Skien prison in addition to Bredtveit, we will have more and better offers for this target group. – UNDERSTANDS THE CONCERN: Department director at KDI, Heidi Bottolfs, says she understands that the women are worried about moving further away from family and friends. KDI is now looking at several compensatory measures, she says. Photo: Martin Leigland / news Unknown future Mona and “Amalie” in Bergen prison say they are full of questions. The uncertainty of not knowing the moving date or new conditions is burdensome, they say. – I feel that my security is disappearing, says Mona.
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– Like being judged again – news Vestland
