Penal Reform in a Society in Transition: An Institutional Analysis of Penal Reform in the Republic of Armenia

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the former Soviet countries have become enmeshed in the processes of democratization, moder-nization, and overall institutional reform. New ideas about punish-ment that filled the voids left by the demise of the socialism and Marxist-Leninist ideology have been influenced by international hu-man rights standards and international organizations. This book explicates the process of penal reform under these conditions in a post-Soviet country in transition - Armenia. It provides an overview of penal reform efforts in Armenia from 1991 to 2005. In particular, it focuses on the creation and development of a Public Monitoring Board, a prison and jail oversight committee composed of represen-tatives from non-governmental groups. Overall, the book highlights the pivotal role of a number of international organizations in man-dating and assisting the Armenian government in transforming the penal system in accord with international human rights standards. This book should be especially useful to all those concerned with pri-son systems in societies in transition, or anyone else interested in Armenia during its first fifteen years of independence.

Author: Satenik Margaryan

Publisher: VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller E.K.

Publication Date: Jun 05, 2008

Number of Pages: 184 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 3836490641

ISBN-13: 9783836490641