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Prisons in Eastern Europe: Some Reflections on Prison Reform in Romania

NCJ Number
164088
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Dated: (August 1996) Pages: 215-231
Author(s)
R D King
Date Published
1996
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The prison systems of Eastern Europe since the collapse of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are compared, with emphasis on the process of prison reform in Romania.
Abstract
Most countries in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union are giving considerable attention to the implications of the Untied Nations Standard Minimum Rules and other international instruments on corrections and are making major changes in the rules governing their prison systems. The prison systems vary considerably in their scales, staffing levels, use of pretrial detention, and inmate employment. The Romanian Penitentiary Administration has conducted two projects under the auspices of the Netherlands Helsinki Committee and Penal Reform International. One is a training seminar for prison administrators; the other is the planning of the management and programs for the new penitentiary in Bucharest. the impacts of these efforts have yet to be determined; it is hoped that they will help promote a wider debate on the problems and prospects of transferring knowledge about correctional reform between different cultures and criminal justice systems. Notes and 19 references (Author abstract modified)