NCJ Number
173822
Date Published
1996
Length
538 pages
Annotation
This study examines developments in the prison systems of 16 countries of central and eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Albania, Belarus, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
Abstract
The study describes progress towards implementing international standards for the management of prisons and treatment of prisoners, problems that obstruct such progress, and ways in which international technical assistance and bilateral cooperation can help overcome the difficulties. The most important developments occurred in the legislative frameworks and organizational structures within which prison systems are administered; policies and attitudes of the national prison administrations themselves; and the work of personnel in penal institutions--the directors (governors), specialists and custodial staff (guards). While much progress has been made in all three areas, many serious problems remain, including: (1) the size of, and continued increase in, the numbers held in penal institutions; (2) conditions of pretrial detention; (3) the state of the buildings; (4) limited resources available for improvements and for day-to-day operation of penal institutions; (5) delays in passage into law of draft penal (criminal) codes; (6) shortage of non-custodial alternatives to imprisonment; (7) recruiting and retaining sufficient high-quality staff; (8) ensuring that all staff are convinced of the importance of improving prison regimes and are skilled in using positive methods in accordance with international standards; and (9) finding sufficient suitable employment for prisoners. Notes, tables, appendixes