A first glance it seems like a good idea to have prisons become more ecological and sustainable. What a great application of solar power! The inmate numbers in the US are growing and the burden on the taxpayer is growing.

At a deeper analysis this is even a better idea. It goes beyond money and the problem. Instead the focus is on people & solutions and is one of the “shifts” happening in the world. Where looking for the best in others, showing compassion, love, forgiveness, cooperation and getting in touch with the earth and nature becomes a healing. This is true re-hab. When you have a prison that someday will release an inmate that could be your neighbor you want that person to have gone through a personal shift to have seen the error of their ways and enter into the joy of being alive and thriving in our society. Todays prisons, especially in the US…. turn out people worse than when they entered “the system”… and the number of inmates is growing faster than the ability to house them. More of a coping mechanism rather than a healing and re-hab process. Something is wrong with that picture.

I truly hope this Norwegian prison can set an example for others to emulate and that we hear a lot more about it.

Here are the articles and a video….

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From the Environmental News Network…

Norway Unveils “First Ecological Prison”

Justice Minister Knut Storberget said the most important idea behind the “ecologically driven prison” is to develop a sense of responsibility in inmates and prepare them for life outside its non-existent walls.

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Some of Norway’s most notorious criminals are doing time in the world’s first eco-prison. The focus is on an environmentally friendly jail sentence. It’s aimed at easing the transition for prisoners about to be set free. Al Jazeera’s Nick Clark reports on an experiment which is producing positive results.

[youtube][/youtube]

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From TreeHugger.com…

Strange But True: Norway Announces First “Ecological Prison”

Prisons probably aren’t the first buildings that spring to mind when you think about green design and architecture. Yet one small island in Norway is set to change that perception with the recent introduction of the “world’s first ecological prison” — a facility powered by solar energy that will put its inmates to work coordinating daily operations, such as recycling and food production, and learning their part to protect the environment.

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Visualize World Peace,

Bruce