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Prison Cells as a Grounded Embodiment of Penal Ideologies: A Norwegian-American Comparison
Book chapter

Prison Cells as a Grounded Embodiment of Penal Ideologies: A Norwegian-American Comparison

Jordan M. Hyatt, Synøve N. Andersen and Steven L. Chanenson
The Prison Cell
09 Jul 2020

Abstract

Prison cells and their carceral design provide a perspective on the prevailing ideological and pragmatic goals within correctional systems, especially with regard to the needs and rights of those incarcerated. Elements of the cell can therefore form a foundation for comparative analyses of correctional philosophy. This chapter explores the distinct penal ideologies of Norway and the United States, as represented by Pennsylvania, through the lens of cells in a newly constructed prison in each jurisdiction. A consideration of the constituent elements and use of prison cells highlights the official focus on utilitarian punishment goals like reintegration and “normality” through environmental-based rehabilitation in the Norwegian context, and in Pennsylvania, the primacy of efficiency and other non-utilitarian correctional goals. Ultimately, these cells reflect their respective society’s correctional priorities at the time they were built.

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