It is quiet in the workshop in Stavanger prison. Usually it’s a busy life, but now the tools hang on the walls. Here, inmates at the prison gain work experience, which they take back into society. But now only foreman Anders Løvik stands with the drill in hand. Foreman at Stavanger prison, Anders Løvik, looks at tools hanging unused on the wall. Photo: Tom Edvindsen / news For now there is a stop. At least temporarily. Correctional services in Norway must cut between NOK 170 and 200 million this year. In the south-west region, around 20 million of these must be cut. This has consequences for the activity at Stavanger prison. Several people have quit in the past year. These will not be replaced. In addition, further millions are to be cut. – We also know that there is a great danger that the night staffing will be cut, says Bjarte Selland, head of the Professional Association of Correctional Services (KY) to news. He refers to the Ålesund case, where two prison officers refused to enter an inmate who tried to take his own life. – It is the worst situation we can find ourselves in, he says. The inmates at Stavanger prison will probably be locked up more in the cells as a result of the cuts in correctional services. Photo: Tom Edvinsen / news Fears of death in the cells If night staffing is cut, Selland believes it would not be safe to enter a cell at night if a situation were to arise. – We have to use the police to go in, and then we have to wait our turn. Then we can have deaths in the cells, he believes. At the workshop, they have to say no to a lot. There are only two inmates who work there. – It is a pity. Because we have a fairly good workshop and the opportunity to do work for companies outside. I have had to say no to a lot of jobs. We don’t have people, and we can’t hire, says Løvik. Before, they had to say no because they had too much to do. Now they lack people. – This is within professions the inmates can work in after they have finished with us, he says. Bjarte Selland fears that the correctional service cannot deliver on its social mission and that the criminals will have a shorter way back into the criminal environment with the cuts in the correctional service. Photo: Tom Edvindsen / news The inmates are locked up Today, inmates have a good deal of outside time in the prison. Selland fears that if the inmates have to be locked up more, the mood will change and the risk of unwanted incidents will increase. – The execution of the social mission is getting worse. This means that the road back to crime is not as long as it should be, says Selland. “Ketil” has been in Stavanger prison for a little while. He says he’s been fine. There have been activities and a cinema in the gymnasium. “Ketil” says that cuts in activity do a lot for well-being in prison. Photo: Tom Edvinsen / news But after the cuts, things have gotten worse. – Now they have cut everything that is across the departments. The women’s department, for example, is often locked up, says “Ketil”. – Has it led to a change in mood? – Yes, it’s the little things that matter the most in here. That you can be a bit social and get together and have something to look forward to. Whether it’s the cinema or a volleyball tournament. It makes the sentence more difficult that we don’t get this. It affects well-being, he says. Cuts every year Last year, the Correctional Service went south-west with a deficit of NOK 36 million. – The units in the southwest region are in a demanding financial situation, says regional director Tanja Rosså Ødegård. Tanja Rosså Ødegård is head of the South West Correctional Service. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / news Since 2014, the correctional service has had to cut back as a result of the ABE reform. According to the state budget in 2021, the purpose of the ABE reform has been, among other things, to provide more efficient state operations. There has been a cut of 0.5 percent each year. It is challenging. Among other things, they pay rent to Statsbygg. It is higher than what they get a budget for. – First we had the ABE cuts. Now all costs are increasing, and the correctional service is running a large deficit. We don’t get electricity support, and rents are increasing, she says. – Reduced activity for inmates can be a natural consequence of lower staffing. Rosså nevertheless emphasizes that the correctional service is aware of its social mission. The established operations can be demolished Manager of Stavanger prison, Cathrine Bjåland Moseng, confirms that they have lost several employees recently. According to her, the reason is complex, but salary levels, future prospects and a good labor market in general play a role. The prison has until recently had a hiring freeze in accordance with orders from the regional director. In this year’s assignment letter, this has been changed to employment control, according to Moseng. Cathrine Bjåland Moseng, head of Stavanger prison. Photo: Marte Skodje / news But she acknowledges that they have to make major financial savings. – The consequences could be the destruction of the established operation, says Moseng. She says they are already beginning to notice major consequences for people who are in high-security prisons. – We are experiencing a steady increase in inmates’ living conditions, more mentally ill inmates and more complexity in the return and rehabilitation work, she says. Moseng says they need people who work with people so that they can deliver on their social mission. – As the situation is now, the economic situation makes this difficult. Stavanger Prison’s employees are good at interpersonal contact and restitution work, and we do not want to have to disrupt the established operation. This could have greater consequences for society in the long term, she says. Enormous price increase The Directorate of Correctional Services, the highest level of the correctional system, points out that it is the Storting that adopts the budgets for public activities in Norway. According to senior adviser Atle Syvertsen, the budget has been increased from last year, while new tasks must be solved within the budget framework. – The price increase at the moment is the highest since the 80s, which makes it very difficult to budget what actual costs will be incurred during the year we are in, he says. He estimates that the correctional service will receive 45-50 million in increased electricity bills for this year. At the same time, the rent for Statsbygg, which owns the vast majority of the prison buildings, has increased by 30 million more than what is compensated in the budget. – In total, this means that the correctional service must save an estimated NOK 170-200 million this year. The southwest region’s share of this is estimated at approximately NOK 20 million. These are estimates and must not be regarded as final figures. Locked cell doors will become more common in prisons in the future. Photo: Tom Edvinsen / news The Directorate of Correctional Services must comply with the budget framework from the Storting, and according to Syvertsen, cuts must therefore be made to bring the accounts into balance. – This is done, among other things, by streamlining operations in the individual prison and probation office, by seeing if some departments can be closed for a shorter or longer time, reducing overtime and cutting travel and courses for employees, says Syvertsen. Will get money from revised national budget The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness acknowledges that the correctional service is in a demanding financial situation and takes the concerns of the employees seriously. In an e-mail to news, State Secretary John-Erik Vika (Sp) writes that an increase of a total of NOK 145 million was approved last year, which was to go, among other things, to increased staffing. The ministry admits that the increase is eaten up by increased prices. In the revised national budget in May, the national budget must therefore be adjusted to ensure that the activity will be as the Storting predicted last year. The Norwegian Correctional Service has the Sandeid, Haugesund, Stavanger, Åna and Agder prisons in addition to the Correctional Service in Stavanger.
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Correctional services must cut – prison fears for safety – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
