In 2011, Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in Norway, most of them teenagers. He's serving a 21-year prison term, which can be extended. But in the meantime, he'll study political science at Oslo University from his prison cell.
The rector of the school explained the decision in a blog post:
All inmates in Norwegian prisons have a right to pursue higher education in Norway if they meet the admission requirements and are successful in competition with other applicants. By sticking to our rules and not clamoring for new ones we send a clear message to those whose misguided mission it is to undermine and change our democratic system. It is part of the universities’ mission to uphold democratic values, ideals and practices, also when these are challenged by heinous acts. We are on a slippery slope should we change the rules and adjust them to crimes committed.
This move comes as the United States has a national conversation about incarceration. This hour, we speak with Åsne Seierstad, author of a book about the massacre called One of Us.
We also move closer to home and discuss a violent year in Hartford, which just saw its 18th murder of 2015. Also moving down I-91, we discuss a string of bizarre crimes in New Haven from severed limbs to cement in pipes.
GUESTS:
- Åsne Seierstad - Journalist and author of One of Us
- Mike Lawlor - Under Secretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning
- Paul Bass - Editor of the New Haven Independent
Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
