About a mile off the coast of Norway, in the Outer Oslofjord, is an island that's home to 115 criminals, including convicted murderers, rapists, and drug dealers.
Yet no barbed-wire-topped walls or electrified fences circle the island, nor do armed guards and attack dogs patrol the grounds. By all accounts, the island prison and its inhabitants live in peace, working together and sharing resources.
Bastøy Prison has been called one of the most liberal prisons in the world. Prisoners and guards work together, tending to farm animals and chopping wood for the winter months. They play cards, ski and play tennis, cook, and take classes. When 3 p.m. rolls around, most of the non-convicts head home, leaving only five guards to keep watch overnight.
The prison is so peaceful that filmmaker Michael Moore filmed on the island for his documentary, "Sicko," but didn't put it in the final cut, thinking no one would believe the place really existed.
Norwegian officials hope that Bastøy, an experiment now in its 32nd year, will rehabilitate prisoners, instilling values of responsibility, trust, leadership, and accountability. And it seems to be working, as recidivism rates for the prison are just 16%. (In the US, the five-year rearrest rate is more than 75%.)
Photographer Espen Eichhöfer visited the island during the winter for a story in Zeit Magazine and brought back these amazing images and stories, which he has shared with us here.
Bastøy Prison sits on Bastøy Island, a mile off the coast of Norway in a fjord, about 46 miles from the capital city of Oslo. Unlike other island prisons, like Alcatraz or Rikers, which are known for their brutal isolation, Bastøy Prison is known as one of the most liberal prisons in the world.
Here, 115 prisoners mostly live in communal houses, along with 69 prison employees, almost all of whom return to the mainland at day's end. Only five guards remain on the island during the night. The houses include kitchens, living rooms, and private bedrooms.
The basic principles of Bastøy Prison are ones of mutual respect and trust. Prisoners work together in a farm setting, tending to animals and woodworking. Given these responsibilities, officials hope to promote rehabilitation and learning, and lower repeat offenders.
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