Prison Reform and Persistent Risks to Prison Living Conditions: Evidence from Romania

Abstract

In recent years, some European countries have implemented prison reform to align prison environ­ments with international human rights standards. However, some countries, such as Romania, have systematically failed to meet these standards and faced sanctions. This study explores the aspects of the Romanian prison environment frequently identified as non-compliant during two decades of reform. Characteristics of the living space, hygiene, social density, and relationships were observed in a survey in four large penitentiary units. The units varied in detention regimes, building characteristics, and monitoring frequency. Two aspects emerged as very important for the quality of prison life: the need to improve the built environment (as it can be aged, degraded and not up to the required standards) and the importance of its governance.

Keywords

• prison conditions
• detention stan¬dards
• romanian prisons
• prison reform
• penal reform.