ABSTRACT
Resettlement policy and practice are in a state of stasis in Greece in recent years. Although a vivid public debate centred on the foundation principles of the correctional code before its amendment in 1999, academic interest on correctional practice has been limited. The new code adopted neutrality as a core principle, with wide concern on avoiding any intrusion to the personality of offenders while viewing prisoners mainly as possessors of rights. However, this theoretical discussion was not followed by analogous developments in service delivery aiming at offering prisoners equivalent opportunities as those provided in the community. Today, social reintegration is again at the forefront and the draft of the new correctional code under deliberation introduces prisoners’ right to release preparation. As the Greek criminal justice system in general has only recently started to integrate elements of penal welfare, correctional practice and relevant debate are at an initial stage of evolution.
