Penal Reform in a Society in Transition

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union the former Soviet countries have become enmeshed in the processes of democratization moder­nization and overall institutional reform. New ideas about punish­ment that filled the voids left by the demise of the socialism and Marxist-Leninist ideology have been influenced by international hu­man 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 represen­tatives from non-governmental groups. Overall the book highlights the pivotal role of a number of international organizations in man­dating 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 pri­son systems in societies in transition or anyone else interested in Armenia during its first fifteen years of independence.