Not Worthy of Our Trust?

How do societies deal with people who have broken the rules and committed criminal or violent acts? The idyllic island of Bastøy is situated in the middle of the Oslofjord in Norway. It is home to what is probably one of the most liberal detention facilities in the world. Dangerous criminals do not live in cells here, but rather have their own rooms and their own keys. They can move around freely on the island, live and work together and prepare themselves for a life ‘afterwards’. Psychotherapist Arne Kvernvik Nilsen was director of the prison for many years. He is pleading for a radical reform of the penal system, a subject he will discuss with Abby Abinanti. As Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribe and from her long-term work at the Superior Court in San Francisco, she has profound knowledge of various legal and value systems. For many years, Abinanti has been campaigning for better preventative work and fewer barriers after prison releases, in particular in the resocialisation of youths. The two experts will discuss the significance of trust for preventative work and for the resocialisation of convicts.

The conversation will be hosted by Jakob Racek.