Fremmed i Norsk fengsel : en narrativ analyse av østeuropeiske og baltiske innsattes fortellinger om deres immigrasjon, lovbrudd og opplevelsen av å være fremmed i møte med den norske strafferettskjeden

Abstract

The number of Eastern European and Baltic prisoners in Norwegian prisons has increased in line with the opening of borders in the Schengen area. The topic generates heated public debates where conclusions are often drawn based on a poor understanding of mechanisms behind this increase. This has motivated me to perform a narrative analysis based on interviews with eight prisoners of Eastern European and Baltic nationalities. The narrative analysis has allowed me to study the interviewees' experiences of being outsiders when meeting the Norwegian states penal system. The main results are a deeper understanding of how the Eastern European and Baltic prisoners identify themselves as moral persons through their narratives, and how they negotiate this identity. I also show how ethnicity is relevant for their narratives, and their experience and understanding of the Norwegian penal system.