Prison as a mirror of society

The Czechoslovak prison system underwent significant changes in the second half of the 20th century. After the Second World War, repression and dehumanization reigned here. In the 1960s, the development of the prison system followed the transformation of society. The repressive approach came to be considered ineffective and the aim was to resocialise the convicted person on the basis of professional research. In the period of the so-called. Standardization has permeated prison facilities with discipline and requirements to meet disproportionate work standards. After 1989, the whole system had to be fundamentally transformed. How has the prison system evolved since the 1960s and what ideas have been applied in re-education? What conditions did not only political prisoners have to cope with? How did staff approach inmates and advocate the use of discipline and hard labor? These are the questions this book seeks to answer. It shows that the prison system mirrors the character of the whole society and says a lot about it.