Imprisonments, 2006

On an average day in 2006, 3 250 persons were in prison. Of these, 2 519 persons served a prison sentence, 75 were under preventive detention/security detention, 572 were in custody and 85 served sentences for non-payment of a fine. Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 7 per cent who served prison sentences. The number of preventive detentions/security detentions has stayed fairly stable. The average number of prisoners in custody decreased by 2 per cent from the previous year, and in 2006 it was 7 per cent lower than in 2001. For persons serving sentences for non-payment of a fine, the average was reduced from 109 to 85, but this is still a lot compared to the previous years (see textbox about serving sentence for non-payment of a fine).

More prisoners at the beginning of the year

Per 1 January 2006, the prison population in Norwegian prisons was 3 355, an increase of 6 per cent from 2005. This is partly due to the number of persons serving prison sentences increasing by 9 per cent. The number of prisoners in custody at the beginning of the year was at the same level as the year before. The women’s share among those serving prison sentences was 6 per cent both in 2005 and 2006. When it comes to age, there was an increase of 10 per cent for prisoners between the age of 30 and 60, as opposed to a small reduction (1 per cent) among those under 30 years of age. The prison population serving sentences for crimes comes to over 89 per cent of the total prison population, compared to barely 91 the previous year. The share of the prison population serving sentences for misdemeanours increased from 7 per cent in 2005 to 8 per cent in 2006.

Of the total prison population at the beginning of the year, most had narcotics crime¹(28 per cent), violent crimes²(20 per cent) and larceny (17 per cent) as their principal offence. Those serving prison sentences for sexual crimes (8 per cent), blackmail and robbery (5 per cent) and for driving under the influence of alcohol (5 per cent) also amount to considerable shares (see figure). 4 per cent were imprisoned for murder, and over one tenth of these were in custody.

Imprisonments increases...

During 2006 more than 11 900 imprisonments were registered in Norwegian prisons, approximately the same as in 2005. Barely 8 100 of these were about serving prison sentences, and came to 67 per cent of all imprisonments, compared to 65 per cent the previous year (see figure and textbox about serving sentence for non-payment of a fine).

...and more for narcotics, violence and moral conduct

Even if the number of imprisonments remained stable compared to the previous year, the total picture somewhat changed. There is an increase for narcotic offences¹, crimes of violence against the person, and sexual crimes, of respectively 9, 12 and 29 per cent. As far as larcenies are concerned, there is on the other hand a decrease of 5 per cent, which correspond to 89 fewer imprisonments than in the previous year.

Small increase of women in custody

After a strong increase from 2004 to 2005 in the number of imprisonments to custody, there was hardly any change from 2005 to 2006, with an increase of just 1 per cent. Imprisonments to custody still came to about one fourth of all imprisonments. However, women account for the small increase and in particular women in custody for serious crimes of narcotics (17 more women).

The number of men imprisoned to custody was unchanged from the previous year. However, there was an increase in the number of serious narcotics crimes (20 per cent), sexual crimes (68 per cent) and traffic misdemeanours (59 per cent) versus a reduction in the number of men imprisoned to custody for among other things, larceny (8 per cent) and blackmail and robbery (21 per cent). For larcenies this contributes to a reduction of 20 per cent over the last five-year period, and for blackmail and robbery, the number of men in custody has halved since 2001.

The majority completes serving their sentences

In 2006, there were more than 12 200 discharges from Norwegian prisons, 2 per cent more than in the previous year. The number of discharges from prison sentences increased by 7 per cent. This is connected with an increase in discharges for those who served less than 6 months, where 13 per cent more prisoners were discharged after one to two months. As in the previous year, 95 per cent were discharged within one year in institution, two thirds of those serving prison sentences were discharged after completing their sentences, and one third were conditional released.

Fewer short and long custodies

There was a 4 per cent reduction in the number of discharges and transfers from custody with duration of less than one month, and a 7 per cent increase for those with duration of one to three months in 2006. This means there was a small increase in people remaining a longer time in custody (one to three months) and a small decrease in people who spent less than one month in custody, than what was the case in 2005. This applies to both discharges and transfers from custody to serving a sentence. At the same time, 8 per cent fewer are discharged or transferred with time in custody beyond three months, than in the previous year.

¹Included crime against the Act relating to Medicinal Products and Poison etc.

²Total for the Penal Code, chapter 12 (Assaulting public servant), 21 (Crime against the personal liberty) and 22 (Crime of violence against the person).

Tables

Published tables