This Prison Treats Every Inmate With Dignity
break the mold: to do something in a new and different way that is not like the usual way
Soft morning light falls on the tall trees around Halden Prison. Each cell has a bathroom, a desk, and a window without bars looking out toward the trees. There is no barbed wire, and the tall wall around the prison is partly hidden by nature.
Guards greet arriving inmates with a handshake. They do not carry weapons, even though Halden is a maximum security prison. In the past, prisons here were much stricter, similar to those in the United States. Planning for Halden Prison began in the early 2000s, and the goal was to break the mold. They created a place where inmates can study, learn new skills, or take part in music and sport activities. Officers eat with inmates and speak with them often. Some inmates are even released for 7-8 hours a day, and are trusted to return on their own.
The results have been significant. Today, Norway reports some of the lowest repeat crime rates in the world. Norway has a recidivism rate of about 20 percent, while the rate in the United States is between 50 and 60 percent.
Sample sentences
Most new phones look the same, but one new model broke the mold with a bendable screen.
Everyone in his family became a lawyer or a doctor, but he broke the mold and became a painter.
Most schools focus on memorization and testing. One small school broke the mold by letting students learn through projects and real-life work.
Origin
A mold is a tool used to shape metal, plastic, or other materials. If the mold breaks, you cannot make that same shape again. The expression comes from this idea and now means doing something in a new and different way
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