[gahahaha]

It wouldn't cost 6x as much to have Norwegian standard prisons in the US because prices/salaries are quite a bit lower. Also, the fact that the US if effing huge would mean that economies of scale would bring down the price even further.

On the other hand - widespread poverty to an extent that is completely unknown in Norway - would mean that US prisons can't be too nice, or they would be more attractive than life on the outside. (I don't know if this concern is a real problem, but it's worth mention it)

[draugadrotten]

> more attractive than life on the outside.

Norway and Sweden have cold winters and warm prisons. It is somewhat common for clever bums to commit crimes (theft, burglary) in the fall that they know will give them a 4-6 month prison sentence. This is perfect timing to get to spend the winter in a warm prison with hot showers and a gym, and then get released just in time when the weather is good enough to sleep outdoors again.

[vidarh]

Causing minor disturbances to get thrown in a cell overnight when it's as coldest, I might buy, but this sounds like an urban legend to me. Maybe a result of someone "getting lucky" that way and people jumping to conclusions.

In neither Norway or Sweden is it easy to time when you will get put into prison, as the time it takes before a case goes to court is highly variable, and the time it takes from a sentence is handed down until you are told to show up to serve that sentence is also very variable, and dependent on how crowded prison happens to be. If this was/is a common practice, then that itself would increase the odds of mis-timing the sentencing time by months.

In Norway there has been cases where the time from sentencing to being called in to serve the sentence have been multiple years. There is a system where you may ask to serve shorter sentences (3 months or shorter) immediately, but this is not at all guaranteed and would quickly be overwhelmed by any "increased demand" during the winter months.

(And remaining locked up pending trial and sentencing, as an alternative to "fix" the timing issue, is unusual unless you're suspected of something likely to result in far more than 4-6 months in prison)

[_delirium]

That seems like an odd strategy, since a social worker should also be able to help someone get a (non-prison) apartment, if they're homeless and can't afford a place to live. Are the people you're mentioning foreigners who aren't eligible for the usual welfare benefits & housing assistance, or am I missing something else?

[ArnoVanLumig]

If that happened at scale it's unlikely that Norway would still have among the lowest recidivism rates in the world. It may happen occasionally, but saying it's "somewhat common" has to be an overstatement.

[draugadrotten]

I have no numbers of scale, but it's an acknowledged problem.

(Public Swedish radio for reference Use google translate and read http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=105&arti... -- 5 of 17 known addicts in a small town are in prison by their own choice)

That said, I strongly believe that the "soft" prisons of Scandinavia is better for society than US prisons. Recidivism is one of the important measurement.

[vidarh]

It does not say that 5 of them are in prison by their own choice. It says that 5 of them are in prison.

Further, the article is very confused. It talks about prison (fängelse) some places, and jail other places (häkte) without acknowledging the big difference (häkte would imply someone has been placed under arrest and put in jail pending a trial and sentencing, but most would be let out after the decision of whether or not to press charges have been made, possibly the next morning).

That some may seek to get arrested and put in a jail cell on particularly cold nights (häkte) without worrying about the risk of charges and prison, may be possible, especially for a drug addict who might be making a decision like that in an impaired state.

But it is very different from trying to guess and time a prison sentence.

[belorn]

So they voluntary go to prison rather than staying in the street. The question should be, is that better or worse for society?