Poland was a totalitarian country 6 months ago, but it is now moving toward democracy. During the Stalinist era of 1944-56, vague and ideologically based definitions resulted in great overcrowding of prisons and concentration camps and the handling of inmates as slaves of the government. During the 1956-88 period, the Communist Party was less ambitious ideologically and merely sought to maintain total economic and political power through the use of slogans such as "law and order." In 1989, the prison system's complicated structure was replaced by a simpler one independent of the Communist Party. Although the Code of Penal Execution emphasizes rehabilitation, it gives little attention to prisoners' rights, and actual penal policy focuses on deterrence. Group protests by inmates and the broader political changes in the country have brought gradual improvements in prison conditions, although funding constraints make major improvements unlikely. In addition, many prison industries are likely to close due to their poor conditions, and the exploitation of prison labor will not continue in a future market economy. Tables and 36 references