I would find it very difficult to justify such a prison to the rape victims and families of murdered loved ones who see those who did them wrong sent there. If the article is to be believed then Norway is being far too generous to some very serious criminals to the point of cruelty to their victims.

If I was designing a prison system from scratch I would include places like this for less serious criminals that have proven themselves, via good behavior, worthy of a chance to put their lives back on track. Possibly even for more serious offenders if they've shown genuine remorse and served at least half their sentense... I would also include a few real hellholes for those who do the opposite. I'd also give all lifers the opportunity to opt for death instead of inprisonment, but I've always been a bit of a softie at heart.