Europe in Prisons : Assessing the Impact of European Institutions on National Prison Systems

This Volume Explores The Role That European Institutions Have Come To Play In Regulating National Prisons Systems. The Authors Introduce And Contribute To Advancing A New Research Agenda In International Penology (‘europe In Prisons’) Which Complements The Conventional Comparative Approach (‘prisons In Europe’). The Chapters Examine The Impact – If Any – That Institutions Such As The European Committee For The Prevention Of Torture And Inhuman Or Degrading Treatment Or Punishment And The European Court Of Human Rights Have Had On Prison Policy Throughout Europe. With Contributions From A Wide Range Of Countries Such As Albania, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Norway And Spain, This Edited Collection Offers A Wide-ranging And Authoritative Guide To The Effects Of European Institutions On Prison Policy -- Provided By Publisher. Introduction: From Prisons In Europe To Europe In Prisons / Tom Daems And Luc Robert -- Monitoring Prisons : The Increasingly Complex Relationship Between International And Domestic Frameworks / Christine Bicknell And Malcolm Evans -- Human Rights In European Prisons : Can The Implementation Of Strasbourg Court Judgments Influence Penitentiary Reform Domestically? / Dia Anagnostou And Dimitris Skleparis -- Learning From Carceral Tours : Reflections Aftera A Howard Tour Across Europe / Tom Vander Beken -- Tracing The Impact Of The Council Of Europe Anti-torture Committee On Albania's Prison System / Brunilda Pali And Xhilda Vocaj -- Council Of Europe Anti-torture Committee And Prisons In Austria / Ursula Kriebaum -- Europe In Belgian Prisons : Assessing The Impact Of The Council Of Europe Anti-torture Committee And The European Court Of Human Rights / Tom Daems And Luc Robert -- Europe In Irish Prisons : Not Quite The 'good European' / Claire Hamilton -- Best In Class? : Norwegian Incarceration And The Pragmatic Production Of Legitimacy / Thomas Horn And Thomas Ugelvik -- European Prison Policy And Spanish Prison Practices : Understanding Confluences And Gaps / José Cid And Ariadna Andreu -- Monitoring The Implementation Gap : A Comparative Perspective / Jonas Visscher And Tom Daems -- The Future Of Europe In Prisons / Tom Daems And Luc Robert. Tom Daems, Luc Robert, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Preface 6 Editorial Note 8 Contents 9 List of Figures 11 List of Tables 13 Introduction: From Prisons in Europe to Europe in Prisons 14 Literature 22 Monitoring Prisons: The Increasingly Complex Relationship Between International and Domestic Frameworks 24 1 Introduction 24 2 The ECPT and the OPCAT Frameworks2 26 3 The ‘Triangular Relationship’ Between the CPT, the SPT and NPMs 29 3.1 The CPT and the SPT 29 3.2 The SPT and the NPMs 34 3.3 The CPT and the NPMs 36 3.4 Cooperation and Confidentiality 39 4 Conclusion 39 Literature 47 Human Rights in European Prisons: Can the Implementation of Strasbourg Court Judgments Influence Penitentiary Reform Domestically? 49 1 Introduction 49 2 The ECHR System and Other Bodies Monitoring Prison Conditions 53 3 Strasbourg Court Judgments Pertaining to Prison Conditions in Europe 58 4 Domestic Implementation of Human Rights Judgments Related to Prison 68 5 Discussion and Conclusion 79 Literature 87 Learning from Carceral Tours: Reflections After a Howard Tour Across Europe 90 1 Introduction 90 2 In John Howard’s Footsteps 91 3 Carceral Tours and Prison Inspection and Monitoring 94 4 Impressions from Six Countries 97 4.1 The Jailer’s Salary 97 4.2 The Northern Star 98 4.3 The Paradox of Control 99 4.4 Words Ring Hollow 99 4.5 Dreams of Cesare Beccaria 100 4.6 Eurovision Europrisons 100 5 Reflections 101 5.1 Locking Them Up and Locking Them Away 101 5.2 Capacity 107 6 Conclusion 109 Literature 110 Tracing the Impact of the Council of Europe Anti-torture Committee on Albania’s Prison System 113 1 Introduction 113 2 Country Background, Prison Data, and Legislation 114 3 International and Domestic Monitoring Bodies in Albania 116 4 Mapping the Role of the CPT in Albania 118 4.1 Ill-treatment and Human Rights Violations 118 4.2 Overcrowding, Pre-trial Detention and Other Material Concerns 125 4.3 Healthcare-Related Concerns 129 5 Conclusion 132 Literature 141 Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee and Prisons in Austria 144 1 Introduction 144 2 CPT Missions to Austria 145 3 The Prison Institutions Visited 145 3.1 First CPT Visit—1990 145 3.2 Second CPT Visit—1994 146 3.3 Third CPT Visit—1999 148 3.4 Fourth CPT Visit—2004 152 3.5 Fifth CPT Visit—2009 155 3.6 Sixth CPT Visit—2014 157 4 Patterns of Recommendations and Austria’s Answers 160 4.1 Overcrowding 161 4.1.1 CPT 161 4.1.2 Reply 162 4.2 Staff Shortage—Regime Activities 162 4.2.1 CPT 162 4.2.2 Reply 163 4.3 Outdoor Activities 164 4.4 Medical Personnel and Health-Care Issues 164 4.4.1 CPT 164 4.4.2 Reply 165 4.5 Access to Showers 168 4.5.1 CPT 168 4.5.2 Reply 168 4.6 Communication with Foreign Prisoners 169 4.6.1 CPT 169 4.6.2 Reply 169 4.7 Firearms 170 4.7.1 CPT 170 4.7.2 Reply 170 4.8 Segregation 171 4.9 Discipline 171 5 National Supervisory Institutions 172 6 Concluding Remarks 175 Literature 178 Europe in Belgian Prisons: Assessing the Impact of the Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee and the European Court of Human Rights 181 1 Introduction 181 2 Belgium and the CPT 182 2.1 Physical Conditions: Prison Overcrowding 184 2.2 Social Conditions: Industrial Action by Prison Officers 186 2.3 Basic Safeguards: Prisoners’ Rights and Independent Monitoring 189 2.4 Is the CPT Important for Belgian Prison(er)s? 191 3 Interned Offenders in Belgian Prisons: Is the European Court of Human Rights Coming to the Rescue? 196 3.1 Internees in Belgian Prisons 197 3.2 Internees Challenging Belgium Before the ECtHR 199 3.3 Violating Human Rights of Internees: From the Individual Case to a Structural Deficit 200 3.4 Has the ECtHR Impacted Upon What Happens with Internees in Belgian Prisons? An Assessment 203 4 Conclusion 206 Literature 208 Europe in Irish Prisons: Not Quite the ‘Good European’ 213 1 Introduction 213 2 Irish Penal Policy and Prison Law: An Overview 215 3 Conditions in Irish Prisons and the Impact of the ECHR 217 4 European Human Rights Norms, Politics and Parole 220 5 Accountability 223 6 The ECtHR and Prisoner Voting 226 7 Conclusion 229 Literature 233 Best in Class? Norwegian Incarceration and the Pragmatic Production of Legitimacy 238 1 Introduction: Doing Good on a Global Scale 238 2 The Norwegian Context, Part 1: A Human Rights Superpower 239 3 The Norwegian Context, Part 2: Humanitarian, Welfare-Oriented Punishment 241 4 The Influence of the ECHR in Norway 243 5 The Influence of the CPT in Norway 247 6 Concluding Remarks: Trust in a Trustworthy Government? 253 Literature 257 European Prison Policy and Spanish Prison Practices: Understanding Confluences and Gaps 261 1 Introduction 261 2 Limitations of the Use of Imprisonment 262 2.1 Definition of the Principle 262 2.2 Evolution of the Use of Imprisonment in Spain During the Democratic Period 264 2.2.1 Increase of Rates of Imprisonment in a Context of High Rates of Prison Admissions (1980–1994) 265 2.2.2 Stability of Rates of Imprisonment in a Context of a Decreasing Trend in Prison Admissions (1995–2001) 265 2.2.3 Increase in the Rates of Imprisonment Despite a Decreasing Trend in Prison Admissions (2002–2010) 267 2.2.4 Reduction in the Rates of Imprisonment in a Context of Decreasing Prison Admissions and Reforms That Affect the Length of Imprisonment (2011–2015)24 267 2.3 Discussion 268 3 Normalization of Prison Life33 270 3.1 Definition of the Principle 270 3.2 Evolution of Prison Conditions During the Democratic Era 271 3.2.1 Accommodation 271 3.2.2 Health Care 273 3.2.3 Respectful Treatment 275 3.3 Discussion 277 4 Reintegration 278 4.1 Definition of the Principle 278 4.2 The Principle of Reintegration in Practice in the Democratic Era 280 4.3 Discussion 283 5 Conclusions 284 Literature 293 Monitoring the Implementation Gap: A Comparative Perspective 296 1 Introduction 296 2 Prison Regime and CPT Standards 298 3 Prison Regimes in Three Countries 300 3.1 Solitary Confinement in Norway 300 3.2 Work in Prison and Dangerous Offenders in Poland 301 3.3 Activities and Dangerous and ‘Unadapted’ Prisoners in Spain 306 4 Monitoring the Implementation Gap 312 Literature 316 The Future of Europe in Prisons 318 1 Weighing in on Europe’s Impact on Prisons 318 2 What Future for Europe in Prisons? 322 Literature 325 Index 326 Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Introduction: From Prisons in Europe to Europe in Prisons (Tom Daems, Luc Robert)....Pages 1-10 Monitoring Prisons: The Increasingly Complex Relationship Between International and Domestic Frameworks (Christine Bicknell, Malcolm Evans)....Pages 11-35 Human Rights in European Prisons: Can the Implementation of Strasbourg Court Judgments Influence Penitentiary Reform Domestically? (Dia Anagnostou, Dimitris Skleparis)....Pages 37-77 Learning from Carceral Tours: Reflections After a Howard Tour Across Europe (Tom Vander Beken)....Pages 79-101 Tracing the Impact of the Council of Europe Anti-torture Committee on Albania’s Prison System (Brunilda Pali, Xhilda Vocaj)....Pages 103-133 Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee and Prisons in Austria (Ursula Kriebaum)....Pages 135-171 Europe in Belgian Prisons: Assessing the Impact of the Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee and the European Court of Human Rights (Tom Daems, Luc Robert)....Pages 173-204 Europe in Irish Prisons: Not Quite the ‘Good European’ (Claire Hamilton)....Pages 205-229 Best in Class? Norwegian Incarceration and the Pragmatic Production of Legitimacy (Thomas Horn, Thomas Ugelvik)....Pages 231-253 European Prison Policy and Spanish Prison Practices: Understanding Confluences and Gaps (José Cid, Ariadna Andreu)....Pages 255-289 Monitoring the Implementation Gap: A Comparative Perspective (Jonas Visschers, Tom Daems)....Pages 291-312 The Future of Europe in Prisons (Tom Daems, Luc Robert)....Pages 313-320 Back Matter ....Pages 321-328