Treatment programmes for female prisoners in Serbia

Jovanović, Slađana and Batrićević, Ana (2024) Treatment programmes for female prisoners in Serbia. In: Prison environment: a female perspective. Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research, Belgrade, pp. 243-260. ISBN 978-86-80756-68-4

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Abstract

Despite the debate between the supporters and the opponents of treatment as a method for recidivism suppression and regardless of partial abandonment of rehabilitation ideal, prisoners’ treatment is still implemented in penitentiary systems across the world. The success of treatment does not depend only on its characteristics, but also on other factors (interpersonal relations, organisation, material conditions etc.) that are referred to as prison social climate. Having in mind the specific needs of female prisoners and their particularly vulnerable position caused by reasons such as previous victimisation, motherhood, poverty, stigmatization and discrimination on various grounds, lack of education, unemployment etc., the authors of this paper focus on, explaining and finding ways to overcome the difficulties that female prisoners and prison staff working with them are facing throughout the implementation of treatment programmes. After defining “treatment” and other related terms, the authors analyse current normative framework of the Republic of Serbia regulating this issue and, subsequently, highlight key factors causing particular vulnerability and specific position of female prisoners that should be taken into consideration when discussing normative and practical aspects of their treatment. Finally, on the basis of semi-structured interviews with prison staff from Correctional Institution for Women in Požarevac, the authors provide a profound insight into treatment programmes that are implemented in Correctional Institution for Women in Požarevac, Serbia, highlight key challenges that emerge therein, and suggest ways to overcome them in future.

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