Pandemic – a shift of paradigm in the prison service. International perspective and presentation of Hungarian best practices

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic posed an exceptional challenge to the national prison services all over the world. The Council of Europe, EuroPris and other international organizations have also expressed their position on the principles of treatment of people convicted to deprivation of freedom concerning the COVID pandemic, as well as the rules for operation of prisons. The Hungarian Prison Service has acted quickly, efficiently and effectively when the epidemic broke out. As a result of the successful protection, no serious virus outbreaks or mass illnesses happened. The introduced measures, procedures and the successful implementation of the tasks coordinated by the Operational Body ensured the prevention of the spread of the epidemic in the prisons and other penitentiary institutions in accordance with even the strictest expectations. Seeing a pandemic of this significance as an opportunity for progress carries the potential for renewal in some areas of penitentiary as well as in many legal institutions. Among the European prisons, the coronavirus protection of the Hungarian Prison Service was one of the most successful, during the epidemiological control the organization was able to develop and manage its own coronavirus sampling system independently from the civilian health care institutions.