This book explores the path dependencies that have shaped the prison systems of the former communist countries of Europe following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Reflecting the varied ethno-religious populations of the region, the collection details how ethnic minority prisoners were managed under different communist regimes and how this changed after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In chapters written by authors from fifteen countries, it explores past and present aspects of penal governance, gang culture, Council of Europe leverage, geopolitics and prisoner experiences. The authors are drawn from across the disciplines of anthropology, criminology, geography, history, modern languages and literature, and sociology. The collection shines a light on prison systems that are often overlooked in discussions of European penalty. It addresses the question of whether ‘post-communist’ is an appropriate label to attach to these prison systems and, in line with the current imperative to decentre Russian and East European area studies, it brings together research from a diverse range of the former communist states of Europe. This book will be of interest to criminologists, historians, and social scientists and a general readership interested in Russia, and the countries of East Central Europe and the Balkans.
