– The road to quick money is short when you are 15 years old, and realize that you and your family cannot afford the football quota or new clothes. The man in his early 20s leans against the wall inside a gymnasium. High fences with barbed wire are visible through the window. He is an inmate in a high-security ward in Eidsberg prison. Those who are here are between 18 and 25 years old. Many of them are gang criminals. – Are you here because of what is happening in Sweden, he asks. In the air yard, the inmates have the opportunity to talk to each other. Photo: Nadir Mohammed Alam / news Conflicts between criminal networks in Stockholm and Uppsala have led to more than ten murders recently. Explosions and murders have befallen innocent Swedes. Many fear that the same could happen in Norway, and especially in Oslo. This makes Norway better than Sweden. However, the experts believe that the same violence we see in Sweden will not happen here. – In Norway, politicians and the police are usually able to initiate measures quickly, when you see an increase in crime. We have seen this especially in Oslo, says Manne Gerell. Gerell has researched gang crime in Sweden and Norway. According to him, there is one point in particular where Norway has been successful in tackling gang crime. It is through prevention. This is the gang war in Sweden In recent weeks, the gang war in Sweden has escalated. Especially in and around the big cities, there have been several incidents of violence, shootings and bombs. According to the Swedish authorities, the problems are greater than in the rest of Europe. The Swedish government has decided to make the Armed Forces available, if necessary. The Norwegian police are following developments, since several of the criminal organizations in Sweden also do “services” in Norway. There are two organizations in particular that are in conflict now, the “Foxtrot Network” and the “Dalen Network”. Central to the gang war are territories and drug sales. The young gang criminals In Eidsberg prison in Indre Østfold there is a separate department for young criminals. There are various reasons why they have ended up here. But several inmates have one thing in common. They are gang criminals. The inmates get a breather after having lessons. Photo: Nadir Alam / news Assistant prison manager, Allan Arnesen, shows off the part of the prison where the inmates have lessons. It is autumn break, but in some of the rooms behind him inmates are sitting and reading. – Sometimes conflicts between different gangs can be taken into the prison. Enmity is not put away even if you are in prison, says Assistant Prison Manager, Allan Arnesen. Photo: Nadir Alam / news Even if these young men are in prison, the Red Cross wants to show them that there is a life outside of crime. – The prevention work does not end even if they sit in a high-security ward. That’s what Kristoffer Høidal, who works in the Red Cross Network After Pardon project, says. In the last week, 20 inmates have been with him on activities and talks. It should motivate them to opt out of crime. They talk about life before and after prison. – The goal is for the inmates to break the criminal cycle and become part of society, says Høidal. At the end of the week, they get a diploma, a hug and some motivating words. – They are going out into society again, so it is extra important to sow hope, he says. New chance after life behind bars – Should it be pirated coffee? The question comes from the man behind the counter inside the return center for the Red Cross in Oslo. The center at Grefsen is unique, even on a worldwide basis. Here, the Red Cross, the Norwegian Correctional Service, Nav and others are gathered under the same roof. All with a common goal. To ensure that those who have completed their sentence will have the best possible start to their new life. Those who come here are former drug users or convicted criminals. At the repatriation center’s canteen, lunch is cleared and preparations for dinner begin. Photo: Nadir Alam / news Here at Grefsen, they have been given a second chance. – It’s Tuesday, which means free food for those who come here. In other words, a lot of mutton cabbage will be made, says one of those who work in the kitchen. Large pots of lamb and cabbage are being prepared. There is free food delivery for those who want it. In the room next to it, Øyvind Johansson is repairing a bicycle. Even though it is the autumn holiday, some choose to join the math class on the floor above. Many who have been in prison go from feeling locked in to being locked out. Being left to their own devices to find housing, work and start over is difficult for many. But at the repatriation center in Oslo, they follow up around 400 people who have previously fallen outside society. – Seeing people who were previously a burden become an enormous resource is one of the best things about this job, says unit manager Stian Estenstad. Unit leader Stian Estenstad has worked for 20 years to give former convicts a second chance. Photo: Nadir Mohammad Alam / news Since 2017, the building at Grefsen has been important to many. But now it is also receiving international attention. Last year alone, the center was visited 50 times from 12 different countries. Everyone wanted to learn from the concept. – I don’t understand why Norwegian politicians go to Sweden. They can come here, says Estenstad. Prevention is the key Looking to Oslo to learn is something the experts also agree on. There is a lot of preventive work going on in Oslo which means that the conditions will not be the same as in Sweden Researcher and criminologist at Oslo Met, Stian Lid says that the preventive work that does, especially in busy areas is absolutely essential. – For the young people, the most important thing is to meet people who are willing to listen and understand the neighborhood they live in, he says. Having people who create trust, know the district and understand the challenges of living conditions is important for success. – To achieve this, you have to work long-term. Especially with the recruitment of employees. The place that gives hope The sound of young people playing football, laughter and cheers when someone scores in the latest football game fills the room. Inside the Trosterudklubben in the district of Alna, it is buzzing with life. The district in Oslo has long had challenges with young criminals and gang environments. But here they have focused heavily on giving young people an arena where they can meet instead of in the streets. The club has become a meeting place for the young people in the neighbourhood. A place where you can meet and play with friends. It’s Friday night, the youth club is full of young people. One of them is the 18-year-old club assistant, Milki Ali. His job is to make sure the young people have a good time. Milki has lived a large part of her life in Trosterud. Throughout his upbringing, he himself has made good use of the leisure club. – Among other things, I learned to play chess here. We also got food, he says. The leisure club became a place where he could be with friends, learn new things and get food if they were hungry. – If it hadn’t been for this place, I would have been out on the streets. Here I have found people who put me on the right path. For Milki Ali, the Trosterud club has meant a lot. Photo: Nadir Alam / news For Milki, the job as a club assistant is a way of giving the same guidance he received. But not everyone chose the same path as him. The temptation for quick money became too great. So big that they chose to stand on the corner and sell, despite their young age. – For me, it is a price I was not willing to pay, he says.
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That is why Norway handles gang crime better than Sweden – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
