ABSTRACT
In physical terms, the Israeli prison system is characterized by overcrowding and poor conditions. In the 1950s, when Israel’s penal and social policies were strongly welfarist in orientation, a penologist with rabbinical qualifications, was appointed to the post of Prison Commissioner. Since prison labour issues are closely affected by, and interrelated with, the wider issues, an analysis of prison labour is best presented against the background of a general description of the main characteristics and orientation of the Israeli penal system and particularly Israeli prison policy. The most notable illustration of the ‘progressive stage’ model in the contemporary Israeli prison system is the concept of ‘Rehabilitation Work’. The report of the Israel Prison Service is published with English and a Hebrew side, each with its own pagination. The prison standing orders require prisoners to travel in groups, accompanied by a supervisory guard.
