ABSTRACT
The varied backgrounds of the prison workers, their low level of education, lack of skills, poor performance, low work morale and high rate of turnover impose extra burdens on enterprises that depend upon the labour of prisoners. The general rule is that prisoners must be paid for their labour. From 1948 onwards, prison work in Hungary took two forms: prison maintenance subsidized by the state budget and work at the state-owned production units. The most important conditions of prison labour are regulated, in accordance with the provisions of Hungarian labour law, by the Prison Act, which governs matters such as working hours, protection of women and youth, times for rest, paid holidays and safety at work. Hungarian professional literature and practical experience with the execution of sentences of imprisonment both emphasize the absolute necessity for the application of prisoners’ abilities, since work helps improve their chances of reintegration into society while decreasing the harmful effects of incarceration.
