Webshop in prison – experience and security implications of the hungarian prison webshop system

Abstract

Aim: From 1th of July 2018, another innovation helped the everyday work of the Hungarian penitentiary service. This innovation made the life of detainees, their relatives and the prison staff work much more easier making one of the communication-types secure, convenient and modern: packadge reception. Together with the numerous advantages of the closed-chain packadge system, i.e. webshop, it has become one of the most successfull forms of communication between prisoners and relatives. The present study examines the legal and economic background, benefits, challenges, and experiences of the past three years, in the light of the primary and most important task of prison: through the enforcement of security.
Methodology: The first part of the study presents in detail the purpose, elements and mode of operation of the legal institution, and then analyzes in detail the development of prohibited objects affected by the webshop in the mentioned period using statistical methods.
Findings: The purpose of the webshop system placed in the focus of the study was not only by practical reason, but also to break the high proportion of the prohibited articles that had existed for years. The study examined the security implications of this reintegration tool, as well as the legislative expectations, and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the webshop had demonstrably reduced the number of banned items which accessed into the prison.
Value: The security analysis of this legal institution in Hungarian law enforcement journal has not yet taken place. We wanted to fill this gap and plan to examine the economic/financial aspects of the topic in the future.