{"id":668,"date":"2023-10-24T04:42:28","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T04:42:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prisonlife.rs\/en\/?p=668"},"modified":"2023-10-21T06:51:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T06:51:37","slug":"education-of-convicted-personsa-challenge-that-is-easy-to-resist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prisonlife.rs\/en\/education-of-convicted-personsa-challenge-that-is-easy-to-resist\/","title":{"rendered":"Education of convicted persons:a challenge that is easy to resist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Negative consequences of imprisonment and ways to overcome them<\/strong><\/p>\n

My first student visit to a correctional institution made me ask myself the question that keeps pursuing me even nowadays: How can we change and humanize the dwelling of those who are \u201cexpelled from life\u201d and placed inside locked buildings, surrounded by walls and bars? Coercive and repressive measures are not sufficient since they can neither preserve the dignity of a human being nor reduce criminality.<\/p>\n

Although the negative consequences of the deprivation of liberty were noted as soon as the first prisons were established, the trust in the re-socialisation of offenders still represents a challenge for those who imprisoned them. Imprisonment includes a constant exposure of the convicted person to the situations full of coercion, pressure, fear, intolerance, frustrations and deprivations, accompanied by various personal crisis and negative reactions. Prison regime and the status of a convicted person clearly do not represent the oases of kindness, cooperativeness, warm words and safety. Still, such conditions do not exclude the application of measures that differ from intimidation, solitary confinement and strokes that hurt body and soul.<\/p>\n

Learning, training and various educational programmes seem to be good signs on that road. The changes of convicted persons\u2019 behaviour represent a great challenge for all those dealing with the issue of prison sentences in practice and science, and educational activities should justify the expectations of the community. Any kind of education can improve the quality of life behind bars, apart from providing the hope for life without recidivism.<\/p>\n

\"Education<\/p>\n

Photography: Ana Batri\u0107evi\u0107<\/em><\/p>\n

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Education of convicted persons as an international standard<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to spend time in prison in a meaningful way is the concern of both \u2013 prison staff as well as convicted persons. Education is a beneficial activity that is not applied frequently enough. Together with labour and leisure activities, education should prepare the convicted person for life outside the prison walls and mitigate the consequences of prison life.<\/p>\n

The importance of education as a part of treatment in prisons has been recognised by international organisations that keep highlighting the fact that education is one of essential human needs and one of fundamental human rights of crucial significance for personal development. If the Law on the Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions<\/a> is compared with international standards, especially with European Prison Rules<\/a>, one can conclude that current normative framework is comprehensive enough to regulate the organisation of education, labour and leisure activities of convicted persons. However new\/old legislative solutions are condemned to failure if legal provisions do not become a part of daily life in correctional institutions.<\/p>\n

If a convicted person is not given the opportunity to participate in formal means of education and training, a space is left for \u201cprison learning\u201d, i.e., negative mutual impacts of convicted persons and experienced \u201cmentors\u201d from groups of prisoners.<\/p>\n

\"Education<\/p>\n

Photography: Cover page of book \u201eEducation and re-socialization: methods of measuring\u201c by prof. Branislava Kne\u017ei\u0107, PhD, published in Belgrade in 2001 by Institute for Textbooks and Educational Resources<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is the purpose of convicted persons’ education?<\/strong><\/p>\n

By defining the purpose of prison sentence in Paragraph 43 of the Law on the Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions<\/a>, the legislator actually regulates the substantial issues of education and learning of convicted persons:<\/p>\n