Issues regarding the quality of life in the Romanian penitenciaries - a brief research report

Abstract

The article presents several findings of a study conducted in 2015 by a small team of researchers of The Research Institute for Quality of Life, at the proposal of the National Penitentiary Administration (NPA), regarding the main aspects of the prisoners‟ quality of life in penitentiaries. Covered topics include: housing, nutrition, health and education services provided in the penitentiary, systemic aspects that influence prisoners‟ quality of life. The study has a consistent qualitative component, based on data obtained by authors, from visiting several penitentiaries. The methodology includes the observation of the visited detention areas, interviews with the prisons‟ staff and the prisoners, also, the application of a questionnaire to a number of 78 inmates. Intersystemic aspects regarding functioning of the penitentiary system, poorly addressed in other studies in the field, are also present in the study