Research reports on the alternatives to imprisonment in times of crises

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee took part in an international comparative study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the regulation and application of penalties and measures as alternatives to imprisonment in Hungary.

In the research, we were seeking to answer the question of how the pandemic impacted the regulation and application of non-custodial sanctions and measures, for example, community service and reparation work, early release, reintegration detention and conditional release. Additionally, we examined the experiences of probation officers.

In-depth research reports are available here:

• Hungarian country report,
• Country reports from Portugal, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan,
• International comparative research report.

Based on research into the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on probation in Europe, Central Asia and South Caucasus, PRI has developed the 10-point-plan on crisis-ready non-custodial sanctions and measures. This is a tool that offers probation leadership, practitioners, policy makers and others involved in the delivery of non-custodial sanctions and measures across the world evidence-based and practical guidance on building and strengthening services that are flexible, non-discriminatory and better able to respond to and adapt in the face of crises.

These reports were published with the financial support of the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation (IPPF) as part of the project “Addressing gaps in the implementation and management of alternatives to imprisonment and post-release support during the COVID-19 global pandemic.” The project received IPPF funding in support of the Foundation’s goal to ensure that criminal justice systems equitably and effectively deal with the impact of COVID-19 on offenders who are in either custodial or non-custodial settings.