Progress and Problems in the Prison Systems of Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

After the major political changes that took place in 1989-1991, the countries of central and eastern Europe have made reform of the criminal justice system a priority requirement in the progress towards democratic institutions. This paper focuses on developments in the prison systems and describes the progress made and the problems faced in implementing the international standards for the management of prisons and the treatment of prisoners, in particular the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the European Prison Rules. There is much variation between the countries of the region but there has been enormous progress in developing these prison systems in accordance with international standards and best practice. However, many serious problems remain, including overcrowding, the poor state of prison buildings, the conditions of pretrial detention, the limited resources available to operate the systems, delays in passing new legislation, the recruitment and retention of good quality staff, problems of ensuring positive staff attitudes and of finding employment for prisoners, and, in many countries, the problems of tuberculosis and its treatment. The paper concludes with suggestions for actions that need to be taken at the national level (by the governments concerned and their prison administrations) and at the international level in cooperation with others.