“They [foreign criminals] will then not be able to disappear before a binding court decision is reached. Nevertheless, it will still be a problem getting the person to serve time in applicable cases,” Oslo Police District’s Egil Jørgen Brekke says to NRK.

The suggestion applies to lesser offences. Foreigners would be brought before judges within three days should it become law to save officers having to employ established remand hearing procedures.

Many of some 7,000 people police seek who are convicted or suspected of serious felonies are foreigners. One in seven people handed a sentence, not necessarily all foreigners, skipped meeting up at prison gates to serve their time last year.

Personnel at lower security jail Hof, Vestfold County, tell The Foreigner over 50 percent of some 1,115 called in via letter this year have not appeared.

The facility houses convicts for most types of offenses considered less serious under current legislation. These include drugs, theft, and home violence.

Most people are fined for not meeting, and in rare cases convicted again for this. Foreign prisoners are less numerous than native Norwegians at Hof.

Labour (Ap) Deputy Justice Minister Pål Lønseth is currently skeptical to fast-track prisons.

He says to NRK the police and their wishes will be listened to “though I can’t immediately see these are the answer.”

It was not clear from police’s suggestion whether the foreign criminal fast-track court system includes asylum seekers.
Egil Jørgen Brekke the Oslo police was not available to clarify this issue when contacted by The Foreigner.

Government and Rightist Opposition politicians have earlier suggested foreigners be separated from Norwegian inmates and in lower standard jails, respectively.

---