ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the rapid increase of foreign nationals in European prisons, employing a dual focus emphasizing both the government and prisoner perspectives. It focuses on foreign nationals incarcerated in penal institutions, not immigration detention centres; a ‘foreign national prisoner’ will thus either be remanded in custody pending trial or imprisoned following a criminal conviction. The increase of foreigners in European prisons has been compared with the over-representation of blacks in United States prisons. In the Czech Republic, national prisoners are given medical care free of charge, while foreigners lacking health insurance have to pay, except in emergency cases. Most foreign prisoners in European prisons, however, will stay where they are and serve out their sentences in prisons designed for national citizens. In many jurisdictions, foreigners can get extended visits when family members have travelled long distances to see them, but family members from Brazil or Afghanistan are uncommon sights in European prisons.
