Bastøy Prison "The Worlds Nicest Prison"

Bastøy Prison is a minimum-security prison located on Bastøy Island, Norway, about 75 kilometers (46 mi) south of Oslo. The facility is located on a 2.6 square kilometer (1 sq mi) island and hosts 115 inmates. Arne Kvernvik-Nilsen, governor of the prison, leads a staff of 69 prison employees. Of this staff, only five employees remain on the island overnight.The facility is about a one hour commuting distance from Oslo.

Once a prison colony for young boys, the facility now is trying to become "the first ecological prison in the world." Inmates are housed in wooden cottages and work the prison farm. During their free time, inmates have access to horseback riding, fishing, tennis, and cross-country skiing.