Prisons in Poland and Ukraine: from totalitarian heritage to the modern European penitentiary system
Prisons in Poland and Ukraine: from totalitarian heritage to the modern European penitentiary system

Summary/Abstract: The study of the prison system reform in Poland is a perfect illustration of the political changes that Poles have undergone from a system marked by Soviet totalitarianism to a society that meets the criteria of democracy Ukraine's aspirations to adapt EU solutions in the field of penitentiary reform encourage to learn about Poland's experiences due to the progress of this country in eliminating the communist legacy in the work of the prison system and the Prison Service that oversees it. This task is also valid for contemporary Ukraine and due to the deep cultural and mental ties connecting the two countries, Polish experiences seem to be extremely inspiring. When using the experience of neighbors, one should not forget about the differences. First of all, it should be noted that the period of communism in Poland was clearly shorter, compared to the 70 years of experience of Ukraine, Belarus and other Soviet Republics which, unlike Poland, did not experience full sovereignty. The key to the success of the reforms in Poland was the fact that they were carried out by new, often young people who were prepared to work on the basis of modern knowledge not related to the previous system. Poles condemned the crimes of communism and its legacy. In Ukraine, this has definitely not been done so far, and this is one of the reasons for the failure of the reforms.

• Details
• Contents