Az izlandi büntetőpolitika a Hólmsheiði börtön és Vernd-i félutas ház látogatása során szerzett tapasztalatok tükrében

Iceland is a country with a fundamentally low crime rate, with a lower per capita incarceration rate than all European nations. In addition, half of the island nation’s small prison capacity of 4 institutions are open prisons without fences, with specific rules. In our study we will describe in detail how the Icelandic prison system is organised along the lines of the Scandinavian penal policy model, what specific types of institutions and alternative sentencing options are used, and what means are used to reduce the harms of imprisonment. In Iceland, imprisonment is used only as an ultima ratio, as a last resort, and the emphasis is on treating prisoners as full citizens, organising their daily lives to resemble as closely as possible their everyday lives, thus supporting their future reintegration into society. We will examine the functioning of the prison education system, why the low prison population is a problem, and the challenges of providing education for prisoners. We describe in detail two institutions, Hólmsheiði prison and Vernd halfway house, which are of key importance in the island country and contribute to the successful reintegration of prisoners into society after serving their prison sentences.