justice committee and helsekomiteen exuded in the afternoon setting on the socialist left suggestions about action for the mentally ill inmates in Norwegian prisons.
When the matter comes to a vote in Parliament, the coalition parties go against the proposal in its entirety, while the centre party and the Labour party supports one of the six points in the socialist left suggestions.
The present coalition agreed to ask the government to make a opptrappingsplan to strengthen the capacity to deal with severely mentally ill convicts in psychiatry, and strengthen the treatment services in prisons.
A: – Extremely disappointed
Petter Eide, socialist left justispolitiske spokesperson, is fortvilt of that Ap and Sp will not support A full out, among other things, this against to place seriously mentally ill prisoners on alone and occupant cell.
DISAPPOINTED: Petter Eide, socialist left forslagsstiller, is extremely disappointed over the political right in Parliament. Here pictured during the spørretimen last spring. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Scanpix Show more
– After having visited the security department of the Isa and seen the conditions with my own eyes, I felt a strong need to take up the case. Therefore, I am glad that it is now exposed in the Parliament in its full width. But unfortunately fails the other parties, says Petter Eide.
socialist left man in the justice committee says he is extremely disappointed with the political right in Parliament.
The lack of willingness makes me very upset. Ap and Sp disclaims responsibility. It is a painful case that is about the sickest inmates in the prisons of our. You will not win a single select, there is no political gain in fighting their battle. But it’s all about human dignity also for society’s outcasts.
– the Health status of seriously mentally ill in prisons is serious. Now don’t get things to happen. In the short term the situation gets worse than shown in the startling NRK-film Records Olin and Katja Høgset, says Petter Eide.
EXPERTS: – Fengselsbetjenter is not, and should not be, experts on the mentally ill, believes Maria Aasen-Svensrud (Ap). Photo: Gunnar Ringheim / Dagbladet View more Ap: – Too much Møller’s tran
Maria Aasen-Svensrud, the Labour party’s spokesperson for correctional services, refutes the criticism from SW:
It bears the stamp of that Petter Eide, and SV has taken a lot of Møller’s tran, ” she says.
– first, we support hovedintensjonen in the socialist left suggestions. Second, it was A very quick out with the proposal after the strong Isa-documentary NRK Brennpunkt. It is all well and good.
– But we got a little better time, among other things, to talk with the professionals who work with the sick, the prisoners. It led to the country to ask the government to create an action plan for the Norwegian correctional services to ensure a healthy, responsible treatment of the seriously mentally ill convicts and avoid isolation, says Maria Aasen-Svensrud, who is a member of the Storting justiskomité.
World’s best
She admits that an action plan may sound bureaucratic.
– But we see it as a practical and concrete tools for the Norwegian correctional services, something they have asked for to deal with seriously mentally ill inmates. Ap places emphasis on the sufficient training of the employees.
We have the world’s best educated fengselsbetjenter, which is good for rehabilitation and tilbakeføringsarbeid. But they are not, and should not be, experts on the mentally ill. Therefore, we need these instruments as proposal our add up to, ” says Maria Aasen-Svensrud.
She also calls for far greater resource allocations from the Solberg-government to the Norwegian correctional services.
I would like to commend the government for betting on the Isa, but to believe that the six places for the severely mentally ill solve the problem for the whole country is at best naive, ” says the Ap representative.
the Women behind the sjokkfilmen on NRK: – the Politicians have committed Sp: – Realistic politics
Emilie Meadows Mehl, justispolitisk spokesperson of the centre party, acknowledges that it seems strange that the three former regjeringspartnere not managed to land on a common proposal.
– I guess that we are going to vote for the same when the case comes to voting in the parliamentary assembly room, ” she says.
LOW MANNING: – the Prisons are left with such low staffing levels compromising the safety of both employees and the conditions of the inmates, believe Emilie Meadows Mehl (Sp). Photo: Gunnar Ringheim / Dagbladet Show more
There is bipartisan agreement that the situation for the mentally ill in jail is untenable. When we can’t support the socialist left suggestions fully, then it goes on what is realistic policy to implement. Our proposal is a powerful effort towards isolation and coercion in prisons, which also takes into account that it is feasible.
– SV suggests that the seriously mentally ill are not being placed on the private or the occupant cell. It is a tool that counselors today are totally have to use because they lack the resources. Therefore, it is important for us to emphasize that it should only be used in extreme cases, ” says Emilie Meadows Mehl.
She believes that the situation in the Norwegian correctional services is critical.
– After this year’s budget was passed before christmas sitting in prisons again, with such low staffing levels compromising the safety of both employees and the conditions of the inmates, says Sp representative.
Right: – Improve the situation
Frida Melvær, a member of the justice committee for the Right, points out that it is a priority objective for the coalition parties and the Norwegian correctional services to reduce the use of isolation and strengthen treatment services for mentally ill inmates.
” I believe that both the attorney general and the health and omsorgsministeren is concerned of the challenges and in the cooperation wants to establish measures that can improve the situation for both inmates and staff. If you are in prison you have the same basic rights to health care as in the wider community, ” says Melvær.
the Prison itself believes these prisoners have no where to do the Review Plus
She points to the fact that it is in the budget for 2019 was granted funds to establish a new reinforced fellesskapsavdeling at Ila Prison and forvaringsanstalt where the specialist moves into the jail with correctional services.
– All in 2014, it was also established a reinforced ressursteam by Isa which has given very good results. The expertise that has been established by the Isa have also been correctional for the rest, to the good, say the Right representative.
Separate report
Frida Melvær says that the themes that representantforslaget from A takes up is important.
Taking the fight up for the sickest prisoners
– But I think that the proposal to prepare a plan of action will only take away capacity and attention from the work that everything is in time. It was done an important job in 2016 when the report “Follow-up of inmates with mental illnesses and/or substance abuse” was prepared in collaboration between the Norwegian Correctional services and the ministry of Health.
– the Report provides a good basis for further priorities. In connection with the Granavolden platform has the four coalition parties committed themselves to work for a more rehabilitative straffegjennomføringssystem by putting greater emphasis on the content of his sentence. It will also be submitted a separate report to the storting on the Norwegian correctional services, where the content of his sentence will take its place, ” says Frida Melvær.
Opptrappingsplan
Forbundsleder Asle Aase Norwegian Words and Friomsorgsforbund stresses the need for a opptrappingsplan.
– We are very clear that inmates who are mentally ill must be given a completely different follow-up and attention than has been the case for many years. The isolation of mentally ill inmates is a problem, ” says Asle Aase.
He believes that the current situation is as much a question of resources as if the responsibility of the specialist.
– are we going To solve many of the problems A takes up, so requires more resources. For we have no opportunity today to have such a tight follow-up from the staff that the proposal will result in. But regardless of resources, it is important that we get a debate about the issues, ” says forbundsleder Asle Aase.