Dual Nature of Legitimacy in the Prison Environment

Rok Hacin, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Criminology at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Maribor, Slovenia. Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Maribor, Slovenia. His research interest includes the legitimacy of criminal justice, penal statistics, penal policy, prison subculture, treatment of prisoners, crime mapping, and fear of crime. He has published several articles and book chapters in international and peer-reviewed publications. He has participated in a research project on Legitimacy and legality of policing, criminal justice and execution of penal sanctions (2013–2016) and a research program on Security and safety in local communities (2015–2024).Gorazd Meško, Ph.D., is a Full Professor of Criminology and a Head of Institute of Criminal Justice and Security Research at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Maribor, Slovenia. He has been a President of the European Society of Criminology and an International Ambassador of the British Society of Criminology. His research interests include comparative criminology, penal policy, legitimacy of criminal justice, crime prevention, policing, environmental criminology, victimization, and cyber-crime. He has recently completed a national research project on Legitimacy and legality of policing, criminal justice and execution of penal sanctions (2013–2016) and is currently a lead researcher of a research program on Security and safety in local communities (2015–2024). He has recently co-edited a book on Trust and Legitimacy in Criminal Justice: European Perspectives (Springer, Meško and Tankebe 2015).

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Punishment and Legitimacy.- 3. Prison Actors.- 4. The Dual Model of Legitimacy in the Prison Environment.- 5. The Slovenian Prison System.- 6. Methodology.- 7.- Qualitative Study of Legitimacy in Slovenian Prisons.- 8. Quantitative Study of Legitimacy in Slovenian Prisons.- 9. Discussion and Conclusion.