Ahead of the Future Justice and Corrections Summit, we present to you this industry whitepaper on Enhancing Security and Communication in Correctional Facilities

What is the point of sending someone to prison - retribution or rehabilitation? 20 years ago Norway realised the answer was the latter and since then has been working hard to transform the Norwegian Correctional Services (NCS).

The ’80s and early ’90s were a challenging period for NCS, with hostile climates inside of prisons for staff and inmates. As Are Hoidal, Prison Governor at Norway’s Halden Prison notes; “the correctional climate in the 80s and 90s was characterised by a number of negative incidents. There were drug problems, mental health problems, a number of riots and escapes, as well as increased public concern about the lengthy waiting times for serving sentences. There was, in other words, a significant need to push NCS in a new direction.”

As such a significant effort was initiated by the new director of NCS to develop a new framework for Norwegian corrections. Ahead of the Future Justice & Corrections Summit 2020 we chat to Are Hoidal about the cultural transformation Norwegian Corrections established and explore how these transformations are decreasing recidivism, improving inmate welfare and creating better members of society. 

Anne Hooker, Youth Development Officer at Port Phillip Prison co-ordinates the youth unit which facilitates 18 – 25 year old males who have been placed in adult custody for the first time. Fostering a supportive community environment within the unit has been

integral to its successful outcomes. Ahead of Future Prisons 2019, Anne takes us through the specialised unit which she delivered from scratch 20 years ago.

Ahead of Future Prisons 2018, we explore Ravenhall Correctional Facility, looking into their programs that serve to re-educate and assist inmates in becoming successful citizens, creating a better community.

Read our article to learn more about:

• How Ravenhall’s modular construction reduced project delivery time, alleviating stress on the prison population.

• The mental health services provided at Ravenhall to help inmates become successful citizens.

• The post-release services at Ravenhall which serve to support former inmates after their sentence.

Ahead of Future Prisons 2018, we chat to Clarke Jones, Criminologist at the Australian National University as he discusses:

• The issues with overcrowding in prisons, such as how rising rates of violence can lead to recidivism
• How specific prison layouts can work to disperse prisoner conflict
• Establishing rewards in the form of family visits to lower inmate stress and likelihood of altercations

Ahead of Future Prisons 2019, we share with you this industry case study from SAAB Technologies, one of our exhibition partners. This case study explores SAAB's OneView™ physical security information management system which has been installed and configured at two Victorian prisons.

Ahead of the Future Prisons Summit 2018 we chat to Lana Sandas, Head of Community Justice and Garry Brown, Business Development Director - Head of Strategic Projects from NorthernPathways, who will be designing, constructing and financing the Clarence Correctional Centre (CCC), with Serco as operator for the next 20 years.

In this article Garry and Lana chat to us about the key economic and social drivers behind the prison development and further delve into the unique design and support mechanisms established that are working to improve prisoner reintegration and reduce recidivism.