Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.32984/gapzh.12.1.5
The „Ugly Duckling“ of Croatia's Criminal Justice – The Prison System in Light of Domestic and European Trends
Anna-Maria Getoš Kalac
orcid.org/0000-0002-0016-764X
; Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Reana Bezić
orcid.org/0000-0002-1299-0860
; Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Petra Šprem
orcid.org/0000-0003-4396-6887
; Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
There is no scientific and professional discussion on the strategically designed and empirically-based management of the Croatian prison system. We occasionally encounter public debates about the situation in Croatian prisons, but these are mostly reactions to tragic events exploited by the media (e.g. the death of a detained general in Osijek prison in 2011) or alleged scandals (e.g. photos of a prisoner playing golf in Valtura prison in 2013). The consequent media and public outrage is generally followed by brief statements from relevant institutions, which conclude any further discussions of the underlying problem which is fundamentally not understood. The authors aim to encourage the scientific and professional discussion of the Croatian prison system on a conceptual, strategic and empirically-based level, taking into account the Croatian specificities in the context of European prison trends. Special prevention of criminal behaviour of individuals through their re-socialisation in prison systems is a significant achievement of the criminal law legacy of Western societies. Although penal policy can be characterised as a constant search for new-best solutions, prison systems play an important role in achieving the purpose of punishment. However, it is questionable whether the prison system achieves its purpose, both in normative and practical terms. The answer to the question posed must be based on empirical data and evaluation analyses, while it presupposes a conceptual and methodological elaboration of clear indicators of the 'purposefulness of the prison system'. Such an answer, which the authors are looking for in this paper, has a dual function. In addition to serving as an evaluation of the current situation, perhaps even more importantly, it creates a firm starting point for strategically designing the future of the Croatian prison system.
Keywords
prisons; prison system; prison population; penology; prison system strategy
Hrčak ID:
260596
URI
Publication date:
16.7.2021.
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