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Publication

The normalization principle. A new perspective on imprisonment. Comparative research on the development and interpretation of the normalization principle and its impact on the theory and practice of punishment.

Book - Dissertation

Our social welfare state is based on the fundamental idea that all people are entitled to "normal" living conditions. Nirje and Wolfensberger are the pioneers of the idea of "normalization", in which Nirje focuses on the normalization of the living conditions of persons with disabilities and Wolfensberger argues that the social role of all deviant groups (including detainees) should be normalized. The Act of 12 January 2005 introduces the normalization principle in the Belgian penal legislation. With a view to limiting damage caused by detention, for instance by the lack of normal social interaction, living conditions in prison should correspond as much as possible to those in the freesociety. The consistent implementation of this principle in prison, however, gets down to the very core of our prison system: while inmates are excluded from society, prison life should reflect as closely as possible free society living conditions. This researchcompares the implementation of the normalization principle in Belgium and Norway to understand its precise content and scope within the broaderpenal and social context. The data for this comparison will be collected by document analysis of legislation and policy, completed by participant observation and semi-structured interviews on its practical implementation. This could contribute to a better understanding of the principles underlying our penal system.
Publication year:2021
Accessibility:Open