There are few things that leave foreigners more speechless when visiting Norway than learning about its very liberal prison policies. Whether it is the comparably low maximum sentence duration and mild punishment for most crimes, or the treatment in Norwegian prisons where the cells are typically more comfortable and well equipped than most hotel rooms you'll find in the US.
And for the most part, Norwegians are quite proud of their views of imprisonment as a tool for societal rehabilitation rather than a punishment, and with both low incarceration rates and reincarceration rates to show for it. However, with the short prison times, some controversies do arise when those who committed some of the worst crimes are eventually released, or when they are in the news later on in life.
This week has been a time for such controversy, as the man behind the biggest bank heist in Norwegian history, which claimed the life of one police officer and has seen $6 million in stolen cash still missing, got a new job for one of the largest TV channels in the country.
About Norwegian penal code
In Norway, the longest prison sentence you can get is 21 years. However, one can also be given a custodial sentence, which means that at the end of a sentence the offender will be subject to review of whether or not they still pose a threat to society. Thus, those who commit the worst types of crimes, could theoretically spend the rest of their lives in prison, although that's highly unlikely in Norway.
Additionally, one may be released on trial after completing 2/3rds of the sentence based on the behavior shown while imprisoned. With the Norwegian prison's also being designed for rehabilitation, where inmates carry their own keys to their own rooms, have access to most of the facilities, most people don't end up serving all of the time they've been given.
So in the case of David Toska, he was initially given 18 years and was then released after 13. So what exactly did the bank heist look like?
The NOKAS Bank Heist
The heist is commonly referred to as the "NOKAS heist", where NOKAS is the acronym for the "Norwegian Cash Services". Located in my hometown of Stavanger, it became the subject of the heist during the Easter holiday in 2014. The timing was no coincidence, as Easter is the time of the year when most Norwegians in Stavanger are away on holiday.
It was then that the 13 perpetrators, heavily armed with military-grade weapons and armor and a plan that had been in the working for a long time, made their move. A truck was lit on fire to block off one of the roads giving access to the area, spike strips were placed all over the roads most likely to be used by the police to come to the crime scene, and smoke grenades were thrown out in front of the entrance doors to cover the view inside. This is all taking place right in the middle of the city center.
It all was planned to take no more than 8 minutes. However, it turned out that one of the windows that had to be broken for the robbers to get in was far more durable than they had predicted. Because of this much added time, a confrontation with the police was inevitable, resulting in some of the most dramatic scenes in a Norwegian city in modern history. Gunfire was going back and forth across what’s normally one of the most occupied streets in the city between the outnumbered cops, who had no reasons to expect as many perpetrators with such heavy arms, while also undermanned due to the season. This tragically resulted in the killing of one police officer, as well as wounding one of the perpetrators.
The aftermath
What also made the heist so famous is that it took a full year to catch the main people behind it. After the heist in 5. April 2004, it was only on the 5. April 2005 that Spanish police found and captured Toska. The trials that followed were quite interesting, as it was quickly understood that Toska was the mind behind it, whereas many of the other participants had a heavier criminal background. This was interesting both with regards to the public perception of Toska, which became one of a bored "genius" who just wanted to try out his tactical abilities to see if he could pull it off. It was also interesting with regards to the penalties. On one hand, Toska seemed less dangerous, on the other, it was him who had done the planning. The other person who got the second most attention was Kjell Alrich Schumann after it was known that it was he who had shot and killed the police officer.
In the end, only Schumann received the custodial sentence, which allows one's sentence to be prolonged. He received 16 years of custodial sentencing, yet was released after only 10 years. Toska, on the other hand, saw multiple trials where one court wanted him to receive a custodial sentence of 21 years. A second court then only gave him 15 years, siting that he should have less than Schumann. In the end, Toska received 18 years without custodial sentencing. 13 years later, in 2018, he was released on trial.
Mixed opinions on new role on TV
This brings us back to today, where he just got his new job at a rather big show in Norway (you can imagine chess being fairly big due to Magnus Carlson, the world's best and most famous chess player, being Norwegian). On one hand, some say that Toska may be another Norwegian success story of a former criminal who not only reintegrates into society but is able to take on publicity and use his ability more fruitfully. On the other hand, people are criticizing how this role glorifies him as a "mastermind", and that he doesn't belong on television in a role like that.
It's not hard to understand that people may feel like there is something wrong here. But then again, is it our feelings, or the evidence of what results in low crime rates, low reincarceration rates, and more and better participation and contribution to society that matters? I tend to think that the ideas of "punishment" and "justice" are rather primitive. Of course, we need to prohibit crime by making it unattractive, and we need to protect ourselves against those who wish us harm, but beyond that, there's no rational reason to do with those who cause harm anything but to make them stop and instead contribute. The great thing about life is that time only moves forward, and just like a "failed" entrepreneur can get back up and start another successful business, someone who fails morally can also contribute with lots of good later on. Myself, I'm cheering on the Toska of 2022, not Toska of 2004.
Or what do you think?
It’s an interesting debate for sure. I think it’s great he can get a decent job after having served his time. The son of the dead police man even said it’s fine. The only issue for me is the speculation that this is a “stunt” from TV2 and they’re using his bad rep to gain attention for commercial purposes. Only speculations of course so until speculation turns to fact I think this is just fine.
That quote by the son of the police officer should give anyone, anywhere, a reinforced belief in humanity. Really beautiful stuff.
It's probably a bit of a stunt from TV2, but I'm not sure if that makes it a bad thing necessarily. The only thing I would mind is if it's done in a way that glorifies him or legitimizes what he did as an impressive feat. (While it could be argued that the whole plan shows a skill of a sort, it should not be communicated positively).
At the end of the day, I think it is alright.
I remember watching a short Vice docunentary on the Bøstoy island, as far as I remember this low security island is an experiment, but a very interesting one that is understandable in the frame of the liberal prison system that you are describing. I really loved the concept, many contemporary constitutions speak about a corrective and not punitive correctional system, but reality is that trying to punish looks quite strongly hardcover in many of us and our justice systems.
I really understand the fear of being harmed and the feeling or the need of some people to protect themselves from threatens around them. But I really agree that this new Toska may be a new one. In the end, giving opportunities could be quite more powerful to build a place we all want to live in than destroying all the opportunities of someone's life.
I always found it interesting how many people seem to argue that we need harsh punishment and inhumane prisons in order to deter people from doing crimes, yet ignore the evidence that the countries with harsh punishments have higher crime rates. Of course, they tend to also have worse economic standards and public safety nets, so it may be hard to compare.
Agree, as the other guys were saying and you were pointing to @hjrrodriguez amd @ackza , there could be some other factors that are interconnected. In a situation of socio-economic scarcity you can enter into a feedback loop that makes increase crime rates and how punitive is the system altogether.
Did Carlsen made any comments on that? I have to research what is Toska chess background, ELO etc. Probably he had plenty of time to study chess in prison 😅
it's hard to say friend but maybe this kind of life stories work in your country since they have another culture and the rate of recidivism in crimes is low but in countries like for example here in Venezuela because of the battered economy and it pains me to say it but our low intellectual level makes us much more vulnerable to falling back into crime. The truth is that all that Norwegian society has is advanced in many aspects compared to, for example, South America.
I don't think it has as much to do with intelligence as it has to do with socio-economic factors. In Norway, there are very few who live pay-check to pay-check (about 3% compared to more than 50% in the US), also there is a strong safety net, so even if you're poor you have no reason to fear starvation. Compare that to poorer countries where stealing or joining criminal groups becomes one of the only ways for people without good education and prospects to survive and it's hardly a surprise why the difference is so big. After all, people need to live.
But perhaps most important about Norway compared also to countries like England, who have much worse statistics than ours, is the culture and public programs that want people to get back up and back into society if they fail. If people are judged as "criminals" and "bad guys", then one should not be surprised if they see themselves that way too and end up doing bad things... We're all capable of doing good, and we all benefit from helping others be the best versions of themselves that they can be.
It is true that the difference is great, the culture and the opportunities they offer are very different from those who make a mistake. Also, when you don't study or have a good purpose in life, the only thing left is how you say steal or join any criminal gang, good for Norway, let's hope that other governments of countries can follow that example.
lol dude its like an invitation to criminals
do you have some fetish for criminals because your so law abiding?
im sure the ladies love that guy lol
hey over here in usa we have joe scarburough who killed his secterary as a florida congressman, hes like oj "still looking for the killer" and he has a show on msnbc with his wife, daughter of zbignew brizinksy,
ya they love putting killers on tv
probly some weird magic power they think they get i dunno
Yet Norway has one of the lowest crime rates, homicide rates, and incarceration rates of any country in the world. Why be a criminal in a country where everyone has a good life anyway?
It's an interesting debate but when you are the victim of a crime it's not often that you feel "lets rehabilitate the person who has destroyed my life and help him/her contribute to society".
Are there are other factors or initiatives specific to Norway that contribute to the low crime rates?