"The Impact of COVID-19 on Prison Conditions and Penal Policy presents the results of a worldwide exchange of information on the impact of COVID-19 in prisons. It also focuses on the human rights questions that have been raised during the pandemic, relating to the treatment of prisoners in institutions for both juveniles and adults worldwide.
The first part brings together the findings and conclusions of leading prison academics and practitioners, presenting national reports with information on the prison system, prison population rates, how COVID-19 was and is managed in prisons, and its impact on living conditions inside prisons and on reintegration programmes. Forty-four countries are covered – many in Europe, but also Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Perú, Costa Rica, Canada, the USA, Kenya, South Africa, China, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. In the second part, thematic chapters concentrate explicitly on the impact of the pandemic on the application of international human rights standards in prisons and on worldwide prison population rates. The book concludes by drawing out the commonalities and diverging practices between jurisdictions, discussing the impact of measures introduced and reflecting on what could be learnt from policies that emerged during the pandemic. Particular attention is paid to whether ""reductionist"" strategies that emerged during the pandemic can be used to counteract mass incarceration and prison overcrowding in the future.
Although the book reflects the situation until mid 2021, after the second and during the third wave of the pandemic, it is highly relevant to the current situation, as the living conditions in prisons did not change significantly during the following waves, which showed high infection rates (in particular in the general population), but increased vaccination rates, too. In prisons, problems the pandemic raises have an even greater impact than for the general society.
Revealing many notable and interesting changes in prison life and in release programmes, this book is essential reading for students and scholars of penology, criminology, law, sociology and public health. It will also appeal to criminal justice practitioners and policy makers."
1. Introduction Frieder Dünkel, Stefan Harrendorf and Dirk van Zyl Smit National chapters 2. Australia Lorana Bartels, Thalia Anthony, Felicity Gerry, Andreea Lachsz and Steven Caruana 3. Austria Walter Hammerschick and Karin Bruckmüller 4. Belgium Olivia Nederlandt, An-Sofie Vanhouche and Kristel Beyens 5. Brazil Ellen Rodrigues and Eduardo Khoury 6. Canada Sandra Bucerius, Rosemary Ricciardelli and Luca Berardi 7. Chile Alvaro Castro Morales, Guillermo Sanhueza, Julio Cortéz and Violeta Puran 8. China Spencer Li 9. Colombia, Bolivia, Perú, Argentina Cesar Valderrama and Juan Hernandez 10. Costa Rica Carlos Tiffer-Sotomayor and Paola Tiffer Hangen 11. Croatia Maja Munivrana Vajda and Elizabeta Ivičević Karas 12. Czech Republic Helena Válková and Jana Hulmáková 13. Denmark Anette Storgaard and Linda Kjaer Minke 14. England/Wales Catherine Heard and Nicola Padfield 15. Estonia Priit Kama and Anneli Soo 16. Finland Tapio Lappi-Seppälä 17. France Martine Herzog-Evans 18. Germany Frieder Dünkel and Christine Morgenstern 19. Greece Maria Anagnostaki 20. Hungary Zsuzsanna Juhász 21. India Madhurima Dhanuka 22. Ireland (including Northern Ireland) Ciara O’Connell, Mary Rogan, Michelle Martyn and Shadd Maruna 23. Italy Lorenzo Picotti and Luisa Ravagnani 24. Japan Kenji Takeuchi and Akinori Otani 25. Kenya Mercy Deche, Conrad Bosire and Sarah Kinyanjui 26. Latvia Ilona Kronberga 27. Lithuania Gintautas Sakalauskas 28. Netherlands Jolande uit Beijerse and Miranda Boone 29. New Zealand Alice Mills 30. North Macedonia Gordana Lažetic and Elena Mujoska-Trpevska 31. Norway Berit Johnsen 32. Poland Barbara Stańdo-Kawecka 33. Portugal Anabela Miranda Rodriguez and Inês Horta Pinto 34. Romania Ioan Durnescu and Ioana Mihaela Morar 35. Russia Sergey Ovchinnikov 36. Scotland Hannah Graham and Katrina Morrison 37. Serbia Milan Skulić 38. Slovakia Miroslava Vráblová 39. Slovenia Danijela Mrhar Prelić and Robert Friškovec 40. South Africa Lukas Muntingh 41. Spain Josep Cid, Laura Negredo López and Carles Soler 42. Sweden Lars Håkan Nilsson and Jenny Kärrholm 43. Switzerland Melanie Wegel and Jonas Weber 44. Turkey Galma Akdeniz and İdil Aydınoğlu 45. USA James Byrne, Don Hummer, Sabrina S. Rapisarda and Kimberly R. Kras Comparative chapters 46. International prisoners and the pandemic – Seeking release, improved conditions and family contact before international criminal courts Roisin Mulgrew 47. International Human Rights and COVID-19 in prisons: Medical isolation and independent oversight Dirk van Zyl Smit, Roisin Mulgrew 48. Prison population rates before and during the pandemic: lessons from COVID-19 about over-incarceration and its consequences for health Catherine Heard 49. Summary analysis of the situation in prisons and prison policy during and after the SARS-CoV-2 induced crisis Frieder Dünkel, Stefan Harrendorf, Dirk van Zyl Smit 50. What could we learn from COVID-19? – a reductionist and penal moderation approach Frieder Dünkel, Sonja Snacken
Frieder Dünkel is Professor Emeritus at the Department of Criminology at the University of Greifswald, Germany. Stefan Harrendorf is Professor of Criminology, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Comparative Criminal Law and Justice at the University of Greifswald, Germany. Dirk van Zyl Smit is Professor Emeritus of Comparative and International Penal Law at the University of Nottingham, UK, and Professor Emeritus of Criminology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
