Publik
All sources

Directorate · Ministry of Justice and Public Security

Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service (KDI)

The Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service heads the correctional service, which carries out sentences and custody.

Latest from Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service (KDI)

  1. Press release

    Prison queue rose to 681 sentences in September 2026 while inmate numbers held steady at 3,030

    • At the end of September 2026, 3,030 people were in prison (3,037 in September 2025). Prisons were 90 percent full. 724 were on remand (jailed before trial), 891 were foreign nationals and 179 were women, up from 150 last year.
    • The prison queue (people sentenced but waiting for a place) grew to 681 sentences, versus 307 a year ago and 640 in August 2026. The queue to serve with an ankle tag fell from 53 to 12. Prisons should not be completely full, because room is needed for remand and moving inmates.
    Children and youthCrime statisticsDrugs
    + 7 more bullets in the app
  2. Press release

    Record 791 apply for decentralised prison officer education with only 55 places

    • 791 people applied to the prison officer programme that is taught in local prisons. That is over 290 more than last year. This is the second time it is offered.
    • There are only 55 places in 12 prisons. On average there are about 14 applicants per place. Students study and work in a prison at the same time.
    Higher educationPrison
    + 6 more bullets in the app
  3. Press release

    Norway's prison queue reaches 640 in August 2026, driven by the closure of Oslo prison

    • 640 people are waiting to start serving their prison sentence – a record in 2026 that has grown every month, mainly because Oslo prison shut down in June.
    • 3,013 people are currently in prison, using 89% of available capacity. Some capacity is kept free intentionally to accommodate remand prisoners and transfers.
    Children and youthCrime statisticsPrison
    + 7 more bullets in the app
  4. Press release

    Norway expands decentralised prison officer training to 12 sites with 55 places from January 2027

    • From January 2027, trainee prison officers can study at twelve prisons across Norway – three of them new: Stavanger, Trondheim and Ilseng.
    • There are 55 paid places in total; applications close 1 October 2026.
    Higher educationPrison
    + 3 more bullets in the app
  5. Press release

    One year of electronic monitoring as pre-trial detention: 59 placed on ankle tag, 10 returned to prison for violations

    • Since the scheme began on 15 August 2025, authorities have received 197 requests to assess whether a suspect is suitable. In total, 59 people have served pre-trial detention at home or in an institution with an ankle tag instead of in prison.
    • On 14 August 2026, 15 people are wearing a tag, two of them under 18. Altogether, 10 minors have taken part.
    Children and youthCourtsPrison
    + 5 more bullets in the app
  6. Press release

    Norway's prison sentence queue up 39 percent year-on-year to 603 as of July 2026

    • At the end of July 2026, 3,019 people were in prison in Norway – twelve more than a year earlier. Prisons were 89.6 percent full.
    • The waiting list for prison places has grown to 603 people – up from 435 a year ago and 583 the previous month. That is the largest year-on-year rise in the figures.
    Children and youthCrime statisticsPrison
    + 7 more bullets in the app
  7. Press release

    Norwegian Correctional Service invites press to panel debate on juvenile offenders at Arendalsuka, 11 August 2026

    • The event runs from 2 to 3 pm on Tuesday 11 August 2026 in Arendal. Journalists must sign up in advance.
    • The first half brings together experts, including the head of the Correctional Service, the Children's Ombudsman, the Oslo police chief and a criminologist.
    Child welfareChildren and youthPolice
    + 3 more bullets in the app
  8. Press release

    Norway's sentence queue surges 26% to 583 in June 2026 as prison population and remand figures rise

    • At the end of June 2026, 3,070 people were in Norwegian prisons – 57 more than a year earlier. A total of 583 people were waiting to start their sentence, up from 462 in June 2025 and 522 the month before. The queue is growing fast.
    • 784 of those held (26%) were on remand, meaning they had not yet been convicted. 907 (30%) were foreign nationals; the largest groups were Lithuanian (112), Polish (95), and Swedish (77).
    Children and youthCrime statisticsPrison
    + 7 more bullets in the app
  9. Press release

    Norway's prison service college KRUS is renamed the University College of Correctional Services (HKO) from 1 January 2027, gaining institutional independence and a new bachelor's degree

    • Norway's prison service college KRUS is changing its name to Høgskolen for kriminalomsorg (HKO) on 1 January 2027. The decision was made on 24 June 2026.
    • A new regulation from April 2026 means HKO will now operate under the same rules as other Norwegian universities and university colleges, giving it more academic freedom.
    Higher educationPrison
    + 5 more bullets in the app
  10. Press release

    Norway's part-time prison officer training expands to 12 prisons with 55 places from January 2027

    • Three new prisons – Stavanger, Trondheim and Ilseng – join the scheme, making 12 training prisons in total with 55 places available this year.
    • The programme first launched in 2025 with 54 students at nine prisons across Norway.
    Higher educationPrison
    + 4 more bullets in the app

Follow Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service (KDI) in Publik

  • We check Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service (KDI) every 20 minutes, around the clock.
  • Every new item is boiled down to a summary of up to 12 clear bullets.
  • You get a push notification in the app the moment something new is published.
Follow the source in PublikFree to get started.
Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service (KDI) online