ABSTRACT
The Hungarian Criminal Enforcement Code (Act CCXL of 2013) uses the terms reintegration and (re)settlement. Resettlement is where prisoners and their families receive assistance and support from the Prison and Probation Services, and voluntary agencies to help them prepare for life after release from prison. The Hungarian Criminal Enforcement Code mentions reintegrative activities or reintegrative programmes. In relation to convicts serving a prison sentence, these programmes aim to foster the convicts’ integration to the job market, to reduce the convicts’ disadvantages that have resulted from their lifestyle and life circumstances prior to incarceration as well as to develop the personality and social competencies of the convicts. In this sense “reintegration” covers all programmes and activities that assist and promote the efficiency of reintegration into society, and minimize the risk of re-offending. Since 1 January 2015, there are new rules for probation officers who are responsible for the post-release supervision of prisoners These probation officers are now officially called penitentiary probation officers. In the present chapter we analyse what is meant under rehabilitation, reintegration and resettlement in law and practice in Hungary. We give an overview of the pre-release and aftercare services available for prisoners and we discuss the system of conditional early release, reintegrational custody, electronic monitoring and the issue of criminal records. We present the role of government institutions, civil society and local municipalities in post-release service provision. There is particular attention given to prisoners with special needs, including Roma, women prisoners and prisoners with mental health issues.
