Norway · Vestfold · Horten
Bastøy Prison
Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always verify with primary sources before acting on any figure. See data sources.
For families
How to send mail, money, and visit Bastøy Prison
Step-by-step guidance using the Norway system — addresses, money services, visit booking, what to bring on your first visit.
Island prison housing inmates in small wooden cottages. Inmates work farms, forestry, and ferry crews. Rehabilitation-first model.
Capacity
115
Current population
105
Occupancy
91%
Year opened
1982
Operational
Facility profile
Operator
Kriminalomsorgen
Population held
male
Opened
1982
Region
Vestfold
Security level
Minimum
Death-row facility
No
Conditions
World's only ecological prison. Subject of multiple international documentaries on humane incarceration models.
Visiting
Visitors arrive via the prison-operated ferry from Horten. Day and overnight family visits scheduled with prison staff.
Mailing
Standard postal mail; minimal screening due to low-security regime.
Practical info
The ferry is operated by inmates as part of their work programme.
Known issues
No major issues documented in our database.
Contact & address
Conditions Risk Score
Derived signal — not a judgement. How it's calculated
- Overcrowding
- 0/30
- Oversight reports
- 0/30
- Structural flags
- 0/15
- Death signals
- 0/15
- Conditions text
- 0/10
Compared to other facilities in Norway
112 peersHigher risk than 0% of peer facilities in Norway.
Data completeness
100%How many of our profile fields are populated. We surface this so families and researchers know the limits.
Sources
- Norwegian Correctional Service
- Norwegian Correctional Service — Kriminalomsorgen
- See /data-sources for our overall methodology.