| Abstract [eng] |
SUMMARY Open Imprisonment in Lithuania and Foreign Countries Aurelija Sermuksnyte Imprisonment is harmful to a person's psychological, physical and social well–being, therefore it is necessary to provide alternatives to imprisonment. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the concept of open imprisonment was formed in order to avoid excessive punishment of a person. The first prison of this type was Witzwill Prison in Switzerland, opened in 1891. Over time, open prisons began to be established in England and Scandinavian countries in order to reduce the harmful effects of closed imprisonment and solve the problems of prison overcrowding. The emergence of open prison institutions in Lithuania dates back to 1963–1964, when correctional labor colonies–settlements were established, and later the concept of "open colonies" was created. Currently, the open prison system in Lithuania consists of open prisons and halfway houses. Scandinavian countries, such as Denmark, Finland, and Norway, have a clearly formed system of sentence execution focused on the most open imprisonment possible, associated with various training or employment programs and the creation of social ties. Despite the advantages of open imprisonment, in Germany and the United Kingdom, the number of sentences served in open prisons is decreasing. Other foreign countries – the Czech Republic, Spain (Catalonia), Canada, although they do not have open imprisonment systems as widely developed as in Scandinavia, are focusing on reducing the harm of imprisonment in certain aspects by providing convicts with open imprisonment options. Thus, the concept of open imprisonment provides more effective opportunities for resocialization and integration into society, for example, by meeting with family outside the institution, working, studying, participating in assistance and support programs. |
