Assessment of Jersey Prison Service visit to Halden Prison

​Request ​802573004

FOI 2 Jersey Prison Service Visit to Halden Prison, Norway (Implementation and Feasibility) 

Please provide the following information: 

1. Preliminary Assessment 

a) Details of any research, scoping, or feasibility work undertaken to assess whether elements of the Halden Prison model could be implemented in Jersey. 

b) Identification of all individuals involved, including names, job titles, and departments (including the Probation Service) who contributed to this work. 

c) Copies of any reports, briefings, options papers, or internal correspondence produced. 

2. Legislative, Regulatory, and Interdepartmental Considerations a) Any legislative or regulatory changes identified as necessary to adopt the Halden model. 

b) Assessment of compatibility between the Norway model and Jersey’s government structure and departmental responsibilities, including any impact on other departments. 

c) Evidence or records of departmental discussions, feedback, or concerns regarding their participation or appetite for change. 

d) Assessment of whether the Government was prepared to sanction the additional funding required to implement the model.

e) Associated costs identified for legislative, operational, or departmental changes. 

3. Implementation, Outcomes, and Probation Service Involvement 

a) Details of which recommendations or elements from the Halden visit were implemented in Jersey, directly or indirectly. 

b) Departments responsible, including the Probation Service where relevant. 

c) Dates of implementation and whether the initiatives are still operating. 

d) Financial impact of implemented initiatives. 

4. Public and Societal Considerations 

a) Any assessments, consultations, or considerations regarding the acceptability of the Halden model to Jersey society. 

b) Records of measures taken to ensure public support or mitigate potential rejection. 

c) Reports, briefings, or correspondence discussing societal readiness for such changes.

Response

In accordance with Regulation 3 of the FOI (Costs) (J) Regulations 2014:

1. where 2 or more requests for information are made to a SPA by one person (or different persons acting together), then the estimated costs of complying with any of the requests is to be taken to be the estimated total cost of complying with all of them.

The requests can only be aggregated in this way if:

2. 2 or more requests ‘relate’, to any extent, to the ‘same or similar’ information; and

3. the requests have all been received within a 60-day period.

It has been estimated that to provide the information requested would exceed the 12.5 hours allowed for Freedom of Information responses in accordance with Regulation 2 (1) of the Freedom of Information (Costs) (Jersey) Regulations 2014. Article 16 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has therefore been applied.

Article applied

Article 16 - A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive

(1) A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations.

(2) Despite paragraph (1), a scheduled public authority may still supply the information requested on payment to it of a fee determined by the authority in the manner prescribed by Regulations for the purposes of this Article.

(3) Regulations may provide that, in such circumstances as the Regulations prescribe, if two or more requests for information are made to a scheduled public authority –

(a) by one person; or

(b) by different persons who appear to the scheduled public authority to be acting in concert or in pursuance of a campaign, the estimated cost of complying with any of the requests is to be taken to be the estimated total cost of complying with all of them.​