A minimum security prison on Bastoy Island is advertising for prisoners to come to its island with spectacular sunsets, tranquil waters and serene scenes of nature.

"We try to take a cross-section of the country's prison population, not just the nice criminals," said Oyvind Alnaes, governor of the prison.

The island offers its prisoners the opportunity to play tennis, ski, and goes horseback riding. They must also put in a certain amount of hours maintaining the island's farm.

"A lot of people in Norway say that we treat them (the prisoners) too well because they should be punished. But this is the biggest mistake we have been making since the 1600s. Taking this line makes people bad," Alnaes told Reuters. "You have to believe people are born good."

Alnaes says that some have tried to escape, however, the alternative to staying on the island is to be on the run.

"The prisoners understand that there is nowhere to go if they do escape. What is the alternative? Spend your life on the run or serve your time at Bastoy? And one attempted escape means you lose your right to stay here."