Halden prison has been featured in the media as the world’s most humane prison. Are is the governor of Halden and Tonje is the training supervisor, responsible for supporting new recruits throughout their training. They discuss the work that is happening in Halden and how it differs from some other prisons in Norway. They speak about the impact for both people in prison and prison staff of more humane prison conditions. They also discuss prison officer training in Norway and how this has evolved over time.

Are Høidal and Tonje Culbertson on Halden Prison in Norway

On this podcast I interview people from around the world who have experience of working or being incarcerated in prison. We discuss the challenges faced by both prison staff and incarcerated individuals, and ways we can improve prisons so they become places of growth and transformation. Studies have shown that prison officers are likely to die much younger than the general population and that they are at higher risk of heart problems, divorce, PTSD, depression and suicide, and 95% of incarcerated people will be released one day, so improving prisons benefits everybody.