Transcript The Penal System in Norway and the United States

Francis Gipson
University of Wyoming Honors Program
Cary Heck, PhD.
Criminal Justice
Criminal or Unethical?
Universal Crimes
 Murder
 Rape
 Assault
 Burglary
 Robbery
 Motor-vehicle theft
How should these crimes be
measured?
National Crime Victimization Survey
“The National Crime Victimization Survey was
designed with four primary objectives:
(1) to develop detailed information about the victims
and consequences of crime,
(2) to estimate the number and types of crimes not
reported to the police,
(3) to provide uniform measures of selected types of
crimes, and
(4) to permit comparisons over time and types of areas.”
NACJD, 2010
The Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
 Data is collected in the UCR by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, commonly referred to as the FBI.
 Law enforcement agencies throughout the country
submit this data on a voluntary basis.
 The data includes only crimes that have been reported
to the agency.
The Self-Report Study
“Self-report studies ask respondents to identify the
kinds of illegal activities in which they have
participated- generally based on a list of choices.
Despite the obvious risk that respondents will
underreport and/or distort their activities, self-report
studies have proved better suited to measuring some
forms of deviance than police reports, such as minor
offenses among adolescents.”
Jrank, 2011
The United Nations Interregional Crime
and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)
 The UNICRI lists specific crimes by country.
 The available data is representative of the total
reported crime in the world.
 The UNICRI collects data for certain crimes that are
also recorded by the United States FBI.
Crime Rate Comparison (2002)
Crime
International
Ranking for
the U.S.
International
Ranking for
Norway
Crime Rate
Per 1,000
Inhabitants
(U.S.)
Crime Rate
Per 1,000
Inhabitants
(Norway)
Assault
#6
#17
7.6
3.2
Burglary
#17
#37
7.1
1.2
Motor-Vehicle
Theft
#9
#5
3.9
5.1
Murder
#24
#54
.04
.01
Rape
#9
#18
.30
.12
Robbery
#11
#40
1.4
.39
Total Crime
#8
#13
80.1
71.9
UNICRI, 2002
Decreasing Crime Rates in the U.S.
Crime
Rate per 100,000
Inhabitants (1990)
Rate per 100,000
Inhabitants (2009)
Murder
9.4
5.0
Forcible Rape
41.1
28.7
Robbery
256.3
133.0
Aggravated Assault
422.9
262.8
Property Crime
5,073.1
3,036.1
Burglary
1,232.2
716.3
Motor-Vehicle Theft
655.8
258.8
FBI, 2009
Change of Crime Occurrence in Norway
 Increase in every type of drug offence
 Violent offences have remained relatively stable the
past few years
 Decrease in thefts overall
 Decrease in motor-vehicle theft
Statistics Norway, 2011
•Societal factors
•Political factors
•Economic factors
PRISON STAFF AND PRISONERS
United States
 Retribution
 Lack of positive
interactions
 Prison Hierarchy
Norway
 Rehabilitation
 Daily Interactions
 Prison Staff treat
Prisoners as Equals
Corporatist VS. Federalist System
 It is argued that structural factors can impact crime rates.
 The political arrangements of the two countries have
influenced attitudes toward crime which have in effect
changed policing.
 The two countries function under completely different
governmental schemes.
Corporatist
Arrangement
•In this regime, “wage rates,
work rules, and policies
concerning employment
security and social protection
are set by negotiations among
“peak associations.”
•Workers are represented
through their unions and
union federations, employers
through industry associations
or federations spanning the
entire private economy, and
the state.
•Consequently, there is not a
strong incentive to appease the
general public.
Sutton, 2004
$ THE FEDERALIST
ARRANGEMENT $
“Decisions regarding
punishment are
predominantly made based
upon the popular public
opinion. Financial campaign
contributors, such as
lobbyists, have an
unprecedented amount of
power in the United States
government. Therefore, penal
procedures are often
implemented to satisfy the
wants and needs of those
most powerful.”
Kleban & Jacobs, 2003
“In a study which examined thirteen democracies, the
United States was labeled as having a high extent of
federalism, while Norway was on the other side of the
spectrum. The research conductors concluded that as the
extent of federalism increased, so did the incarceration
rates in the nations examined.”
Jacobs,
2004
POLITICAL CULTURE
The United States
 Heterogeneity
 Distinguished class structure
 Emphasis on individuality
Norway
 Homogeneity
 Smaller economic gap
between the rich and the
poor
 Emphasis on group
collectivity
“Low rates of imprisonment
in the Scandinavian
countries, including Norway,
are largely a result of the class
homogeneity.”
Pratt,
2008
Changes in Norway
“Norway has recently experienced negative changes in
homogeneity that threaten the superior conditions
and low levels of imprisonment. The decline of trust in
the government, discrediting of expertise, sensational
rather than objective media reporting, the
politicalization of victimhood associated with such
developments- the same forces that have contributed
to penal excess elsewhere are apparent in Norway.”
Pratt, 2008
Alternative Programs to Prison
Time
“Both countries have implemented substitutes to prison
time that include both community service and
cognitive skills training.”
Baldursson, 2000
Criminal Care
 Officials in Norway refer to corrections as criminal care.
 Norwegian officials emphasize the importance of training
the individual to reenter society and contribute positively.
 Goal: for the prisoner to obtain a job and make a living for
himself and his family.
 If the offender can accomplish this primary goal, recidivism
rates are likely to decrease. In other words, the offender will
be more likely to desist in his criminal behavior.
LOCKED UP in the United States
 Officials in the United States tend to focus on isolating
the individuals who have exhibited criminogenic
behavior from the rest of society.
 Criminals are often viewed as deficient persons who
cannot be fixed.
 The faults of these individuals are examined on rather
than the inadequacies of the system as a whole.
Influence on Public Opinion of
Crime Control
 “The American control has greatly influenced political
activist groups in Norway.”
 One particular group called KROM, which stands for
the Norwegian Association for Criminal Reform,
focuses on problems with the penal system in Norway.
 “The need for social workers [in Norway] has
increased while the need for legal professions has
decreased.”
Papendorf, 2006
RECAP!
Different political atmosphere + Different
political systems + Different goals +
Different economic atmosphere +
Differences among leaders + Different
attitudes + Differences among prison staff +
Differences in citizen involvement +
Different perceptions = DISPARITIES IN
CRIME RATES!
Conclusion
 With the data that has been presented it is obvious that the
same policies and procedures should not be implemented
in Norway and the United States.
 The crime rates are so diverse that it would be illogical for
these two countries to utilize the exact same methods for
crime control.
 Without first changing attitudes and perceptions of the
general public, it is impossible to use the same policies in
both countries.
 It is vital that Norway and the United States continue to
take advantage of successful programs while also
examining new policies and procedures to reduce present
crime rates.
QUESTIONS?