07/23/2026
Anders Behring Breivik—the far-right terrorist and mass murderer who is surely the most reviled man in Norway—lives in a two-story suite with a kitchen where he can cook his own meals, a pleasant outdoor yard, and a TV room with armchairs, an Xbox, and scenic photos on the walls. The contents of the rooms, however, are carefully chosen. Appearances to the contrary, this is a supermaximum-security unit, which has been purpose-built for Breivik by the Kriminalomsorgen—the Norwegian Correctional Service—at its Ringerike Prison.
On July 22, 2011—15 years ago today—Breivik shot to death 69 people, including 33 children, at a Labour Party summer camp, after killing eight others with a bomb blast in Oslo. To this day, Breivik maintains his virulently anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, white supremacist beliefs, and desires to spread his message of hate to the world. For this reason, his communicating with both other incarcerated people and the outside world is almost entirely prohibited. But throughout his imprisonment, Norway has gone to great lengths to mitigate the harmful impact of Breivik’s isolation. Why? And what can the US learn from the Norwegian model? Read more from Jean Casella: https://www.thenation.com/article/world/norway-prisons-anders-breivik-humane-justice-american-incarceration/
