Eirik has spent 15 of his 47-year-long life in prison. He has committed burglaries, swindled, crashed into police cars and got drunk. Now he is serving a sentence for threats and fraud. Like many other criminals, he has had large claims made against him. Eirik is back in prison. He says that he sees more young people behind prison walls than before. Photo: Philip Kollstrøm / news In the sentence he is now serving, he is also sentenced to pay a fine of NOK 12,000. According to him himself, it has been much worse. He is said to have owed the state, individuals and companies almost NOK 500,000 in compensation and recourse claims. Now he is debt free. But the road there was not easy, and there are many who struggle to pay the debts from their previous life. In 2023, Norwegian convicts owed the state a total of almost NOK 2 billion, and this debt increases by an average of NOK 120 million every year. This is shown by figures from the National Collections Centre. Lawyer Øystein Storrvik believes that this has developed into a social problem that affects both the state and the rehabilitation of the convicted. A big negative project According to Eirik, it is difficult to have a big demand hanging over your head. This could lead to a shorter journey back to prison, he believes. – Several of those who are in prison will return. If you also owe a lot in compensation, and come out without money or a job, then something will gnaw at you, and you will want to leave. Eirik tattooed “loco” on his arm when he was younger. It means crazy in Spanish. He explains that that’s what he was then. But what saved him was being put in prison. Photo: Philip Kollstrøm / news – And if your neighbor does drugs, it’s easy to relapse, and drugs are very expensive. Then you quickly end up in a vicious circle, he says. In criminal cases, the accused may be ordered to pay the victims some form of compensation. But if the person who is convicted does not have the necessary funds, the state can pay for the convicted through various schemes. The convicted must then pay back the state. But for the state, this has become a major negative project. – It is really a system that only has negative sides. Because the state covers the requirements, and then it just stays in the collection center like a shoestring, says lawyer Øystein Storrvik to news. – That makes it very difficult for those who are released after long sentences to get back on their feet, he adds. Øystein Storrvik has represented several high-profile criminals. Photo: Caroline Utti / news Difficult to get it paid The State’s collection center has the task of collecting what the convicts owe. According to the director of collection at the Swedish Tax Agency, Vegard Rydning, they always try to get the person who has to pay to do so voluntarily. If that doesn’t work, they have to try other solutions. – If the claim is not paid, the National Collection Center can secure the claim by compulsory collection, says Rydning. Then they will take a lien on, for example, the house, social security or the salary of the convicted person. But those who are in prison often do not receive as much money or have other funds that could be pledged. Then it will be difficult for the state to collect the money. Since 2003, the National Collection Center has managed to collect less than NOK 1 billion. So only one third. Criminal law professor at the University of Bergen (UiB), Jon Petter Rui. Photo: Bjørn Olav Nordahl According to criminal law professor at UiB, Jon Petter Rui, this is a weakness of the penal system. – The weakness is that those who are sentenced to a compensation claim do not have the money to cover it. It’s like everywhere else: If they don’t have an income, you don’t get the money, says Rui. – It doesn’t help to get a claim for compensation before you sit inside. You don’t make enough money in prison, that goes without saying, he believes. Large “symbolic” claims Øystein Storrvik has represented several convicts who have received historically high claims, including Anders Behring Breivik and David Toska. According to Storrvik, the threshold for granting high compensation claims has been lowered. In several cases, the demands have become so large that they have become symbolic. An example is when Zaniar Matapour was convicted of terrorism in June, he was also sentenced to pay over NOK 112 million to the victims. This judgment was appealed, and is not legally binding. But it has been pointed out in the media that it would be difficult for the defendant to get this claim paid. This is what Eirik’s defender Anne Kroken says – Standing firm on the collection of such claims is costly for society in the long run. It is often insurance companies or the state that will have the money, explains lawyer Anne Kroken. – It is almost impossible to start over after serving a sentence with high debt and no income. It reduces the possibilities for good rehabilitation. Especially for the drug-addicted criminals who often receive significant demands from the insurance companies, she says. – In my view, there should have been a much greater arrangement for dialogue about partial payment and reduction of possible waivers. A lower claim is easier to pay, it will provide a certain settlement and can help convicts get over their problems. Important with the high requirements According to lawyer Heidi Marie Reisvang from Elden law firm, there are natural reasons why the requirements are so high. If there are many victims in a case, there will also be many claims, and then the numbers will also be high. – It is an important part of the criminal case that you get restitution, and that you get it as a plaster on the wound. I think it’s nice that it’s done this way, but the downside is that the state has to pick up some of the bill. But the state footing the bill is not necessarily bad either, according to Reisvang. – Then the victims also get a guarantee of receiving the compensation, despite the ability to pay of the convicted. Do you have any good tips? Hello! Thanks for reading this far! If you have any thoughts or good tips, please contact me. Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue Published 20.09.2024, at 20.50 Updated 20.09.2024, at 20.57
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Norwegian convicts owe the state almost 2 billion – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
