Humane Prison Regime

"I like to put it this way: He's a human being.  He has human rights.  This is about creating a humane prison regime".  Ellen Bjercke, spokeswoman for Ila Prison, Norway

The man she speaks of, Anders Behring Breivik, mass murderer extraordinaire, who has never felt a shred of compunction or regret, remorse or hesitated to defend his actions, also believes he has human rights.  And his version of his belief is that he not be held to be insane.  In 'defending' Norway, he has acted in the best possible way he could imagine to bring attention to the fact that his country's heritage, customs and future have been overwhelmed by a Muslim invasion.

He would do it all over again, if he could.  He would lay careful plans to set off a bomb to kill lawmakers in Oslo.  He would stealthily make his way, fully armed and deadly, to a  remote island where he knows the youth wing of the liberal party that governs his country has its summer hideaway serving the dual purpose of affirming political activism among the young and the dedicated, and offering them an outdoors summer experience in nature.

And there, among the forest and the lake, the birds and the clamour of young people engaged in sports and companionship, he asserted his hatred of the Muslim invasion of his beloved country.  Made possible by the very political party's liberal invitation to Islam to make themselves at home in Norway.  A situation that he saw as so hateful he was fully capable of mercilessly shooting and killing 69 promising, bright young Norwegians.

One of two verdicts is set to be announced on Friday.  He will be declared insane, or he will not be.  If insane, he will be installed in a psychiatric ward that the government had built specifically with his needs in mind.  There will be seventeen people on staff for the sole purpose of looking after this man's needs.  The very idea that he might be held to be mentally incapable is one of express horror in Breivik's estimation.


To him, representing the supreme and unquestionably ultimate capital punishment.  Entirely negating his purpose; all would have been for naught.


If he is found to be and have been mentally capable, he will remain in isolation for the time being in the same high-security prison where he now has three 8-square-metre cells at his disposal, comprising a bedroom, an exercise room, and a study.  Due punishment for expropriating the years of life of 77 people.  Compassionate Norwegian-style.  Where humane prison treatment and rehabilitation is a firm societal conviction.

Plans for his future at Oslo's Ila Prison include the eventual transfer to a section with other prisoners.  All of whom have access to a school teaching primary grades through to university-level courses, a library, a gym, the opportunity to work in the prison's many shops, and the advantages of leisure activities to ensure he doesn't become too bored with it all.