HALDEN PRISON BADYLO ANNA

The Norwegian prison system is regarded as one of the most humane in all the world. Norwegian prison cells look more like hotel rooms than the cold, wet concrete most foreigners expect to find behind bars..

Inmates on the prison island of Bastoey, south of Oslo, are free to walk around in a village-style setting, tending to farm animals. They ski, cook, play tennis, play cards. They have their own beach, and even run the ferry taking people to and from the island

There are televisions, refrigerators, and gaming consoles. There are Norwegian prisons that are even equipped with sound-recording studios

According to the Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service, prison should be a restriction of liberty, but nothing more. That means an offender should have all the same rights as other people living in Norway, and life inside should resemble life outside as much as possible. All Norwegian prisoners have the right to study, for instance, and they are all allowed to vote.

For those with families, a larger room with toys and baby-changing facilities is available. Inmates are checked after visits, and if illegal items are found, prisoners can lose their rights to private visits. This right is denied to high risk criminals and visitors with histories of drug offenses

When criminals in Norway leave prison, they tend to stay out. Norway's recidivism rate of 20% is one of the lowest in the world. By contrast in the UK it's about 45%, while in the US more than 76% of prisoners are re-arrested within five years. Defenders of the Norwegian system are also keen to point out how much money is being saved on successful rehabilitation and reintegration.