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Rajiv Narayan

I've lost a lot of weight and gained a little insight about obesity and health care. I like to read and write about those things, but my true obsessions are with bad puns, Beyoncé, and the Bay Area. I curate for Upworthy because I believe health care policy can (one day) be understood. If you want to wonk it up, reach out to me on Twitter and Facebook.

The point here is not so much that one system is obviously better than the other, but that the way we run prisons in the U.S. is not the only way to do it.

What comes to mind when you hear the word "jail?"

Probably "the opposite of freedom."

AMERICA: the home of some of the not-so-free. Image via Pixabay.

There's the overcrowding, crappy food, and the complete lack of privacy — all of which make one thing clear: Jail is not meant to be a picnic. It is a punishment for committing a crime after all.

In America, we're taught that it's meant to be anything but pleasant.

But is it the only — or even the best — way to do it?

A documentary series that follows a tour of a Norwegian prison shows a very different method of imprisonment.

This TV series, titled "The Norden," features an American named James Conway as he visits different prisons in Scandinavian countries. Conway, who spent nearly 40 years of his life working for New York's prison system, is particularly struck by the accommodations at Halden, a prison in Norway.

Me too, James, me too. GIF via "The Norden."

First of all, the prison's locale is gorgeous — it's surrounded by beautiful Norwegian scenery. The inside is breathtaking, too; the inmates have pristinely furnished living rooms, a laundry room, and — get this — a music studio. Conway really can't believe what he sees.

Why are things so "good" for these Norwegian inmates? It comes down to the system's values.

"One of the principles in the Norwegian Correctional Services regarding [is] normality, which means that you should serve in just as normal conditions as possible." — Jan Strømnes, deputy head of Halden prison

(This sounds better than normal to me, but maybe it's because I don't live in Norway and am currently dealing with a mouse infestation in my apartment).

Given his background working for the New York prison system, Conway was not convinced of Norway's approach to prison life.

"If you put that much faith in [the prisoners] and that much of a luxurious environment for them to live in, let them have the keys," he says.

"Why have them in prison, anyway?" Conway asks.

The Norwegian system focuses more on prison as a venue of rehabilitation rather than one of punishment.

And why Conway — and many Americans — might scoff at the concept of a comfortable prison (what's the deterrent if prison is so nice?), these fact-checked statistics from a segment of The Young Turks might make him reconsider:

Intentional homicides:
- Norway: 0.6 per 100,000 people
- United States: 6 per 100,000 people
Incarceration rates:
- Norway: 71 for every 100,000 people
- United States: 743 for every 100,000 (in 2009)
Recidivism rate:
- Norway: 20%
- United States: 50%-60%

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Perhaps Norway's way of doing things isn't as bizarre as we think.

You can watch the excerpt for yourself here:

There are two stories of Jo's addiction. Only one is actually helpful.

Jo Harvey used to tell her story of addiction in a dark and messy way.

It started when Jo was 7. On a hiking trip, she was given her first drink. She liked the taste, and by the time she was 12, she had experimented with more alcohol and other drugs. In high school, she was introduced to cocaine. She became a party girl, one who didn't remember most wild nights and spiraled into a deep addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Eventually, she gave up the drugs and went in for treatment. In the years since, Jo not only has been sober, but she's dedicated her life to helping others through similar struggles. Today, Jo is completing a doctorate while working to develop alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs for her university.

Now she tells her story as the story of a struggle that saved her.

The difference between those two stories isn't in the facts of her life — those didn't change. But how she tells the story now is radically different because it is no longer dripping with guilt and shame. Jo used to be ashamed that she wasn't the perfect all-American girl that her good grades and pretty appearance led people to believe. She was ashamed that she had succumbed to addiction and that she was struggling with substance abuse. And that guilt and shame shaped how she lived her life.

Why did Jo carry so much guilt and shame around her addiction? Well one factor may have been her gender.

Laura Blum, Nancy Nielsen, and Joseph Riggs prepared a review for the American Medical Association's Council on Scientific Affairs. In it, they describe the societal attitudes about alcoholism and women as well as their unique barriers to treatment.

Women who drink excessively are stigmatized as "generally and sexually immoral." That stigma can be internalized by friends, family, health care providers, and even women themselves, who become more likely to deny their alcohol abuse.
This leads to an "under-recognition of drinking problems in women until they have reached an advanced stage. Fear of stigmatization may lead women to deny that they are suffering from a medical condition, to hide their drinking, and to drink alone."

GIF via TEDx.

Jo now believes that the key to recovery comes down to the stories we tell.

In order to heal, she had to shake the shame, stigma, and fear to come out on the other side and share her true story: one of hurt and pain, sure, but also of healing and strength. Today, she has this to say about people who are struggling with addiction:

"They matter and are worth fighting for. Even the deepest wounds can heal, and at any moment we can let go of our shame and find peace."

Watch Jo share her empowering story in her own words:

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Rajiv Narayan

You do you.

Well, Dr. Felix Warneken is here to prove that one of the biggest assumptions behind capitalism? Yeah. It's wrong. NBD.

Warneken's research shows that we have innately altruistic tendencies. And not only do we want to help our fellow man — we derive joy from it.

What comes to mind when you hear the word "jail?"

A documentary series that follows a tour of a Norwegian prison shows a very different method of imprisonment.

The Norwegian system focuses more on prison as a venue of rehabilitation rather than one of punishment.

Perhaps Norway's way of doing things isn't as bizarre as we think.

Jo Harvey used to tell her story of addiction in a dark and messy way.

Now she tells her story as the story of a struggle that saved her.

Why did Jo carry so much guilt and shame around her addiction? Well one factor may have been her gender.

Jo now believes that the key to recovery comes down to the stories we tell.

A Happy Brain

Three Traits of the Brain

But What Does This All Mean?

Rajiv Narayan

You do you.

Well, Dr. Felix Warneken is here to prove that one of the biggest assumptions behind capitalism? Yeah. It's wrong. NBD.

Warneken's research shows that we have innately altruistic tendencies. And not only do we want to help our fellow man — we derive joy from it.

The point here is not so much that one system is obviously better than the other, but that the way we run prisons in the U.S. is not the only way to do it.

What comes to mind when you hear the word "jail?"

A documentary series that follows a tour of a Norwegian prison shows a very different method of imprisonment.

The Norwegian system focuses more on prison as a venue of rehabilitation rather than one of punishment.

Perhaps Norway's way of doing things isn't as bizarre as we think.

There are two stories of Jo's addiction. Only one is actually helpful.

Jo Harvey used to tell her story of addiction in a dark and messy way.

Now she tells her story as the story of a struggle that saved her.

Why did Jo carry so much guilt and shame around her addiction? Well one factor may have been her gender.

Jo now believes that the key to recovery comes down to the stories we tell.

Honestly, just watching this makes me happier.

A Happy Brain

Three Traits of the Brain

But What Does This All Mean?

This video is so different from news reports and political speeches I've heard about terrorism. It's based on research. Go figure.

He doesn't have time for the economics of selfishness.

Have you ever had to ask any of the questions they're asking?