On the Margins of a Ten-Year-Old Penitentiary Institution – The Beginnings of Reintegration Detention in Hungary

Abstract

How did the idea of the legal institution of reintegration detention come about, what was the legislator’s intention and will, what was feasible, what best practices were adopted in connection with the introduction of the legal institution, what tools had to be developed, who helped the
penitentiary system in this, and how did the procedural and legal regulation of reintegration detention start in Hungary? Reintegration detention is almost 10 years old. The legislation has addressed an important policy need by introducing reintegration detention and by recognising
that the regulation of this legal institution was necessary because of the overall social interest that the preparation of persons released from prison for successful reintegration into society should begin during the execution of their sentence. With the introduction of reintegration detention, the prison service’s range of instruments for progressive deprivation of liberty, normalisation and successful reintegration into society has been significantly expanded. The development of the regime creates an intermediate stage in the current system based on the two extremes (where someone leaves the penitentiary as a total institution immediately to full freedom and autonomy). Between total deprivation of liberty and responsible independent living, a stage of life supervised by the state authorities is thus introduced.