Prisons in Slovakia
Encyclopedia
Prisons in Slovakia are fully owned and operated by the state. In 2004, Slovakia
had 8 891 prisoners, representing 165 per 100 000 of the national population. By the end of 2010 the prison population has risen to 10 031 prisoners (184 per 100 000 citizens). As of 2010, Slovakia has 18 correctional institutions capable of holding 9 500 inmates (other sources claim 10 615). Of these, five are devoted to pre-trial detainees, nine for sentenced prisoners, and four for a combination of sentenced prisoners and pre-trial detainees.
The prison system is administered by the Slovak General Directorate of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard (current director Col. Mgr. Robert Mudroncek) falling under the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (current minister Daniel Lipšic
). Current occupancy level of the Slovak prison system is 94.5%.
inherited a prison system from Austria-Hungary that is considered relatively progressive, with the facilities cited as being among the better prisons in Europe
. As late as during the 1940s the prison system still incorporated the Leopoldov structure, originally built in 1669 to defend against the Turkish invaders. Between 1865 and 1952, Slovakia's prison system was controlled by the General Directorate of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard, under the Ministry
of Justice, an organisational scheme similar to the one still in use today.
The country's oldest prisons date from the 17th century. Two of the largest prisons, Leopoldov Prison
and Ilava Prison were reconstructed from an army fortress and a monastery respectively, both during Austria-Hungary
. The largest prisons have a capacity of 600 - 900 prisoners.
in its velvet revolution
. Coinciding with the social and political changes outside, prisoners all around the country became rebellious. In Slovakia, the unrest started in December 1989 in Zeliezovce prison. In many prisons the inmates constructed simple banners out of bed sheets with slogans similar to those seen by protesters in the squares. Also, the prisoners started organizing themselves creating self-governing commissions and choosing spokespersons to represent their demands. Prison unrest became the focus of daily news coverage in Slovakia and situation escalated to the point, where several government ministers and the prime minister personally came to conduct negotiations to Leopoldov Prison
.
per day. Each prisoner and detainee is obliged by law to pay 3.09 euro per day, an obligation that many people manage to evade. The total unpaid sum rose to 11.7 million euro as of June 2011.
The most serious offenders are housed at Ilava, Leopoldov, or Ružomberok.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
had 8 891 prisoners, representing 165 per 100 000 of the national population. By the end of 2010 the prison population has risen to 10 031 prisoners (184 per 100 000 citizens). As of 2010, Slovakia has 18 correctional institutions capable of holding 9 500 inmates (other sources claim 10 615). Of these, five are devoted to pre-trial detainees, nine for sentenced prisoners, and four for a combination of sentenced prisoners and pre-trial detainees.
The prison system is administered by the Slovak General Directorate of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard (current director Col. Mgr. Robert Mudroncek) falling under the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (current minister Daniel Lipšic
Daniel Lipšic
JUDr. Daniel Lipšic, LL.M. is a Slovak politician who currently serves as the Interior Minister of Slovakia. He previously served as Minister of Justice of Slovakia from 2002 to 2006.. , The New York Times He is a member of the Christian Democratic Movement, a party currently in the governing...
). Current occupancy level of the Slovak prison system is 94.5%.
Vital statistics
| Year | Prisoners total | Prison population per 100,000 inhabitants |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 6 610 | 124 |
| 1995 | 7 899 | 147 |
| 1998 | 6 628 | 123 |
| 2001 | 7 433 | 138 |
| 2004 | 9 422 | 175 |
| 2007 | 7 986 | 148 |
| 2010 | 10 031 | 184 |
History
CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
inherited a prison system from Austria-Hungary that is considered relatively progressive, with the facilities cited as being among the better prisons in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. As late as during the 1940s the prison system still incorporated the Leopoldov structure, originally built in 1669 to defend against the Turkish invaders. Between 1865 and 1952, Slovakia's prison system was controlled by the General Directorate of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard, under the Ministry
of Justice, an organisational scheme similar to the one still in use today.
The country's oldest prisons date from the 17th century. Two of the largest prisons, Leopoldov Prison
Leopoldov Prison
Leopoldov Prison is a 17th century fortress built against Ottoman Turks, in the 19th century it was converted into a high-security prison in the town of Leopoldov, Slovakia...
and Ilava Prison were reconstructed from an army fortress and a monastery respectively, both during Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. The largest prisons have a capacity of 600 - 900 prisoners.
Prison unrest of 1989
At the end of 1989, Czechoslovakia overthrew communismCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
in its velvet revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
. Coinciding with the social and political changes outside, prisoners all around the country became rebellious. In Slovakia, the unrest started in December 1989 in Zeliezovce prison. In many prisons the inmates constructed simple banners out of bed sheets with slogans similar to those seen by protesters in the squares. Also, the prisoners started organizing themselves creating self-governing commissions and choosing spokespersons to represent their demands. Prison unrest became the focus of daily news coverage in Slovakia and situation escalated to the point, where several government ministers and the prime minister personally came to conduct negotiations to Leopoldov Prison
Leopoldov Prison
Leopoldov Prison is a 17th century fortress built against Ottoman Turks, in the 19th century it was converted into a high-security prison in the town of Leopoldov, Slovakia...
.
Description
In 2011 the average cost of imprisoning one person in Slovakia was 37.26 euroEuro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
per day. Each prisoner and detainee is obliged by law to pay 3.09 euro per day, an obligation that many people manage to evade. The total unpaid sum rose to 11.7 million euro as of June 2011.
The most serious offenders are housed at Ilava, Leopoldov, or Ružomberok.
List of prisons
- Ústav na výkon väzby Banská Bystrica
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav Banská Bystrica - Kráľová
- Ústav na výkon väzby Bratislava
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav Dubnica nad Váhom
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav Hrnčiarovce nad Parnou
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav Ilava
- Ústav na výkon väzby Košice
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav Košice - Šaca
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav a Ústav na výkon väzby Leopoldov / Leopoldov PrisonLeopoldov PrisonLeopoldov Prison is a 17th century fortress built against Ottoman Turks, in the 19th century it was converted into a high-security prison in the town of Leopoldov, Slovakia...
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav pre mladistvých Martin / youth correctional institution
- Ústav na výkon väzby Nitra
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav Nitra - Chrenová / the only women's prison in Slovakia, capacity: 283
- Ústav na výkon väzby Prešov
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav Ružomberok
- Nemocnica pre obvinených a odsúdených a Nápravnovýchovný ústav Trenčín / prison hospital and prison
- Nápravnovýchovný ústav Želiezovce
- Ústav na výkon väzby Žilina
Known issues in the prison system
- inadequate security surveillance
- lengthening of pretrial detention leading to overcrowding
- low morale and salaries of prison staff
- continuity in prison staff from the era of communist dictatorship (in fact, the brutality of some of the prison staff was one of the main reasons for the Leopoldov Prison uprising, an issue that remains to be addressed until today)
- lack of budgets for improvement
Sources
- ROTH, M.P., Prisons And Prison Systems - A Global Encyclopedia, Greenwood Press:London, 2006. ISBN 0-313-32856-0
- GÁL, F. et. al., Násilí, EGEM:Praha, 1994. ISBN 80-85395-41-X