Life in Prison

The people have been sent to prison since very early times and currently UK has held more than 85000 prisoners and in Lithuania the number is 383 from 100 thousands inhabitants of the country. Therefore there is a need of high qualified specialists and appropriate circumstances for serving their sentence, in Lithuania salary for that kind of job is 1700 litas per month, In UK is as high as 1,000 pounds (posts as of April 2007).

The procedures are the same in both countries: Since the person is send to jail, he needs to pass through reception, which responsibility is checking identities and monitoring numbers. Then the nurse sees the person and decides whether he used any drugs or other medicament. If not, prisoner gets the special clothes and after that he needs to be taken to his ward.

The accommodation in the Lithuanian prison “Lukiškių kalėjimas – tardymo izoliatorius” becomes more and more human; it’s been reconstructed since last year: cells are repainted; the person is allowed to have TV, Computer. The prisoners may open the windows because the barrels had been taken from the windows. There is a possibility to play Chess in the separated room. Still, good living conditions gets not everyone, it depends on the category of prisoner (A – dangerous, B – not trusted, C – not dangerous). Sentenced people have their right to education (105 juvenile delinquent in Lithuanian “Pravieniškės” prison wanted to start studying) or to visits when prisons staff allows it. Depending on prisoners category it reduces or arises the quantity of visits.

Every prisoner have a possibility to work in prison, the salary for them are different (from 150 to 400 litas per month). It affects how much money is given for the food: for a working man – 3.27 Lt, not working prisoner – 2.79 Lt, for working woman – 3.62 Lt, not working woman – 3.42 Lt, for juvenile – 3.97 Lt, meanwile in United Kindom this amount is different: the food costs for prisoner is from 1.2 to 3.41 pounds.

The prison service has an official statement about its commitment to racial equality in the Prison Rules: all prisoners have the right to practice their religijon and these who have mental, physical and sensory disabilities have the right to participate equally in prison life.

The jail become as a home for people who don’t know where to go, what to do and in prisons they get all they need – food, bed, education, work. It is the reason for rising a number of prisoners.