Consequences of imprisonment and possibilities of influence on perpetrator in the conditions of penitentiary isolation

Imprisonment which is implemented in the present form in European countries has reached its capabilities in terms of re-socialisation, if any function apart from isolating might have been achieved. This has happened because the specificity of penitentiary isolation results in individuals being unable to acquire real-skills to live in the society in accordance with its rules. The paradox of this penalty is that its conditioning favours the destruction of a human, the loss of their ability to function in society rather than their re-socialisation and building the appropriate social attitudes. Prisonisation which affects each prisoner to varying degrees is mostly to blame, but also other elements inseparably connected with penitentiary isolation. In order to mitigate the influence of negative factors it is necessary to implement the appropriate mechanisms, which, however, are not able to eliminate negative effects of imprisonment, but they are able to mitigate them, as already indicated. The aim of the following publication is an attempt to find a solution, identify which factors negatively influence re-socialisation of prisoners in penitentiary isolation and if there are still any possibilities to improve the system of execution of imprisonment sentence before the penalty in its present form disappears from legal systems. The authors also ask a question: Can a man be taught to live in society in accordance with the rules accepted by it, in spite of the sometimes long-term isolation of this man from the society