| Abstract [eng] |
Disciplinary measures and incentives imposed on prisoners have a direct impact in the conditions of their sentence, legal status, and daily life; in Lithuania, however, this issue is studied rarely and sporadically. The objective of this master’s thesis is to reveal the perspectives of prisoners on the application of disciplinary measures and incentives in prisons, and how expressions of a culture of punishment are reflected in these experiences. The study aims to analyze the issues surrounding the application of disciplinary measures and incentives in Lithuanian prisons, identify the key aspects related to proportionality, individualization, the perception of legitimacy, and the exercise of power by officers, and to determine how the experience of these practices reveals expressions of a culture of punishment in prisons. A qualitative research strategy was employed, combining different data sources – analyzing interviews with inmates conducted during the Measuring the Quality of Prison Life study, as well as prisoners’ written complaints regarding the application of disciplinary measures and incentives. The empirical research finds that prisoners generally perceive disciplinary measures and incentives as punishment-oriented rather than as encouraging resocialization. Disciplinary measures are imposed significantly more often than incentives, with prisoners’ experiences highlighting a lack of voice in the decision-making process, bias, presumptions of guilt and the still-prominent role of the prison subculture. Taken together, these factors suggest that the use of disciplinary measures and incentives in Lithuanian prisons is perceived by prisoners’ as disproportionate, insufficiently individualized, and dependent on the power and discretion of officers, which indicates expressions of a culture of punishment in the context of these practices. The results of this study not only allow for a comparison between the stated standard of resocialization and the actual experiences of prisoners, but in the future may also contribute to a broader examination of the phenomenon of a culture of punishment in Lithuanian prisons. |
