ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PENITENTIARY SYSTEM IN ROMANIA AS A RESULT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Purpose – The main objective of this paper is to assess the progress made within a state institution in the field of national defence and security in Romania in a crisis situation, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology/approach - We have used a secondary analysis as the main research method to obtain the essential information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the institution, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. Additionally, participatory observation helped us extract the most relevant elements from the pandemic period, based on which we have conducted a series of analyses. Findings – The results obtained highlight the causal relationship between the efficiency of the managerial system of the prison system in Romania and the digitization of the institution, as a response to the crisis situation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research limitations/implications – The main limitations are related to the method of data collection, the information obtained from document analysis, most of which are public documents, which may be scarce or may be presented in a favourable light for the institution. Originality/value - The originality of the work is outlined in researching the managerial mechanisms applied in Romanian prisons during the pandemic period and how these have been sustained over time. Practical implications – The implications consist in conducting a comparative analysis of managerial practices, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.