| Popis: |
In this article, we zoom in on prison leave, an institution that mostly remained under the scientific radar. Very little is known about prison leave in Europe (and elsewhere too). In this article, we focus on issues that emerged in the context of an analysis of prison leave in eight countries from all parts of Europe. Scholars from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Romania, Spain and Ukraine provided us with detailed accounts of prison leave in their respective country1. In this paper we draw on this concrete knowledge to raise general issues on the purposes and functions of prison leave, the criteria for obtaining prison leave, the authority to grant prison leave, the link between prison leave and prison life, and the link between prison leave and recidivism. We conclude this article by raising attention to an underlying tension: is prison leave a privilege or a right? Furthermore, we suggest additional questions in the hope of convincing other scholars to turn towards the study of prison leave in their jurisdiction. |
