A reform again? Explaining reorganisation processes and perspectives of imprisonment in Lithuania

• In Event: Prison Working Group: Prison reforms and policies

Abstract

The presentation discusses the trends of imprisonment in Lithuania, the challenges and prospects of the penitentiary system, and the ongoing reform of sentence execution initiated in 2021.
Lithuania's strategic policy documents emphasise that the system for enforcing punishment often fails to motivate convicts to alter their criminal behaviours. Instead, prison staff tends to prioritise supervision and control of offenders over resocialisation and the provision of social assistance.
Drawing upon the principles of social constructionism, an analysis of Lithuanian political documents reveals that the identification and framing of imprisonment-related issues are often more influenced by obligations to international organisations and the cascading effect of Lithuania's political agenda objectives than by evidence-based conclusions from scientific research. It is suggested that the concepts of re-socialisation and social integration, which are the primary stated goals of custodial sentences, are confined within a political discourse that lacks a critical approach.
Due to a perceived lack of political will to allocate resources for a comprehensive restructuring of the penitentiary system, reforms often take on a cosmetic nature, primarily focusing on administrative changes rather than objectives and measures that would significantly enhance the effectiveness of punishments, improve prison conditions, or substantially reduce the incarcerated population, among other goals. Grounded in the tenets of critical criminology, the presentation seeks to comprehend the factors contributing to the "constructed" nature of these reforms.

Author

• Jolanta Aleknevičienė, Vilnius University, Lithuania