Present-day Penal Institutions

Modern prisons are quite diverse, but it is possible to make some generalizations about them. In all but minimum-security prisons, the task of maintaining physical custody of the prisoners is usually given the highest priority and is likely to dominate all other concerns. Barred cells and locked doors, periodic checking of cells, searches for contraband, and detailed regulation of inmates' movements about the prison are all undertaken to prevent escapes. In order to forestall thievery, drug and alcohol use, violent assaults, rapes, and other types of prison crime, the inmates are subjected to rules governing every aspect of life; these do much to give the social structure of the prison its authoritarian character.

The need to maintain security within prisons has prompted many countries to separate their penal institutions into categories of maximum, medium, and minimum security. Convicted offenders are assigned to a particular category on the basis of the seriousness or violent nature of their offence, the length of their sentence, their proneness to escape, and other considerations. Within a prison, the inmates are often classified into several categories and housed in corresponding cellblocks according to the security risk posed by each individual. Younger offenders are usually held in separate penal institutions that provide a stronger emphasis on treatment and correction.

Prisons generally succeed in the twin purposes of isolating the criminal from society and punishing him for his crime, but the higher goal of rehabilitation is not as easily attained. An offender's time in prison is usually reduced as a reward for good behaviour and conscientious performance at work. The privilege of receiving visits from family members and friends from the outside world exists in almost all penal systems (From….).

Ex. 24. Answer the questions:

1. Are modern prisons quite diverse?

2. What task is given the highest priority in all prisons?

3. What measures are undertaken to prevent escapes in prisons?

4. What gives the social structure of the prison its authoritarian character?

5. Why are the inmates subjected to the vast body of institutional regulations?

6. Why did many countries separate their penal institutions into categories?

7. What categories are penal institutions separated into?

8. What factors assign convicted offenders to a particular category?

9. Why are the inmates classified into several categories within a prison?

10. Where are young offenders usually held?

11. What purposes do prisons generally succeed?

Ex. 25. Find the Ukrainian equivalents for the following words and expressions:

1. maximum security prisons

2. maintaining physical custody

3. highest priority

4. detailed regulation of inmates’ movements

5. are undertaken to prevent escapes

6. is likely to dominate all other concerns

1. найвища перевага

2. детальне регулювання пересування в’язнів

3. застосовуються, щоб попередити втечі

4. може переважати над іншими проблемами

5. в’язниці з максимальним рівнем безпеки

6. утримувати під вартою

Ex. 26. Find in the text above the English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

1. вживання наркотиків та алкоголю

2. в’язні підпорядковуються правилам

3. авторитарний характер

4. інші види злочинів у в’язниці

5. періодична перевірка камер

6. сучасні в’язниці

Ex. 27 Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions:

1. conscientious performance at work

2. proneness to escape

3. security risk

4. to forestall thievery

5. the length of their sentence

6. consideration

7. housed in corresponding cell blocks

Ex. 28. Match the English and Ukrainian equivalents:

1. security risk posed by each individual

2. younger offenders

3. penal institutions

4. provide a stronger emphasis on treatment and correction

5. prisons succeed in the twin purposes

6. isolating the criminal from society

7. the higher goal of rehabilitation

8. prison time is reduced as a reward

9. good behaviour

10. from the outside world

1. ззовні

2. ув’язнення скорочується як винагорода

3. найвища мета реабілітація

4. ізоляція злочинця від суспільства

5. гарна поведінка

6. в’язниці переслідують дві мети

7. неповнолітні правопорушники

8. виправні установи

9. ризик небезпеки з боку кожної особи

10. передбачають більшу увагу до виховання та виправлення

Ex. 29. Give English equivalents for the following words and word-combinations from the text:

сучасна в’язниця, в’язниця з мінімальним рівнем безпеки, в’язень, камера з гратами, перевірка камер, обшук на наявність контрабанди, запобігати втечам, запобігати крадіжкам, зґвалтування, напад з застосуванням насильства , соціальна структура в’язниці, окремі виправні установи