NCJ Number
201112
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 28 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2003 Pages: 6-7,19
Date Published
June 2003
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the improvements made in the Estonia prison system since the Council of Europe initiated the Nord-Balt Prison Project in 1994.
Abstract
The goal of the Nord-Balt Prison Project was to improve the prison systems of the Baltic countries. The Project involves collaborations among Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and among Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. This article focuses specifically on the improvements that have been made to the Estonia prison system, which is comprised of 10 correctional institutions housing 4,460 inmates, approximately 40 percent of whom are from other countries. The author offers a brief description of all 10 correctional institutions, highlighting recent improvements, such as smoking cessation programs, family days, and communications training programs. Future improvements include the development of a professional prison staff and the completion of infrastructure projects to help bring the prisons up to date.