NCJ Number
75846
Journal
Scandinavian Review Volume: 67 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1979) Pages: 37-41
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The Norwegian Ministry of Justice's recent report on criminal justice system reform is reviewed, and data on crime in Norway are presented.
Abstract
The report recommends a number of changes aimed at establishing a new criminal policy. These include the establishment of a crime prevention council with members from various professional fields, a change in the criminal age from 14 to 15, and a revision of present laws to keep 15-year-olds out of prison. Other changes include the ending of lifetime imprisonment and solitary confinement and the establishment of a penal code commission to prepare a proposal for a new penal code. Furthermore, the report calls for less use of imprisonment as sanction against larceny, theft, and robbery and the introduction of a period of parole with compulsory social work and special criminal care for those who commit such crimes. It also calls for imprisonment only in case of the more serious crimes and a reduction of the minimum period of imprisonment from 21 days to 7 days. The report is based on the desires for greater emphasis on crime prevention, the development of a more just penal system, and a more reasonable use of resources. It emphasizes that fear of imprisonment has no deterrent effect at all in the case of crimes resulting from sudden impulses, but does admit that the law may have a deterrent effect in the case of planned crimes. Finally, the report recommends that a crime's consequences for the State be considered more important than the effects on victims. Recent data indicate that more than 80 percent of all police investigations involve crimes for profit, but only one-fifth of all thefts and larcenies are cleared up. Of those persons sentenced, more than half are under 21 years of age; and these youths are the most frequent repeaters. Cities have higher crime rates than other areas; there were 60 violations per 1,000 population in Oslo compared to only 2 per 1,000 in the west coast fjord country. The report's mentality and concrete proposals have produced strongly negative reactions from citizens, law enforcement officials, and independent businessmen. Although some of the report's proposals will undoubtedly be modified, the report has stimulated debate and demonstrated the need for a more timely penal code.