ABSTRACT
Seeking alternatives to imprisonment as a means of punishment in carrying out legislative and judicial functions and in implementing criminal policy has a longstanding tradition. On the one hand, there seems to be an increasing number of people in favour of restricting the use of imprisonment, treating offenders humanely and respecting their dignity. On the other hand, however, a periodic (cyclic) strengthening of a punitive, 1 or even populist (Czapska and Waltoś 2007, pp. 404–7 and 410–12; Zalewski 2008, p. 130) tendency has long been observed and the feeling of being threatened by criminality has always been reasonably high. 2
