Ila Detention and Security Prison

Ila Prison and Preventive Detention Facility (Ila fengsel og forvaringsanstalt) is a high-security prison located in the Bærum municipality in Akershus, Norway. Originally constructed between 1938 and 1939 as a women's prison, the facility has a dark and complex history. It was completed just in time to be seized during the German occupation of Norway in World War II, initially holding Norwegian prisoners of war before being repurposed in 1941 as the Grini concentration camp to detain political opponents of the Nazi regime. Following the war, the site was renamed Ilebu Prison and used to hold individuals accused and convicted of treason. Over the decades, the facility's role evolved significantly; it transitioned into a security institution for inmates requiring preventive detention alongside their sentences. Following a major internal renovation, it was officially designated as Norway's primary preventive detention facility for men. Today, the prison operates with 230 staff members and has a standard capacity of 124 places spread across 12 departments, with more than half of its capacity specifically tailored for inmates serving preventive detention sentences.