The fact that you are in prison doesn’t mean you lose your human rights. They still have to be observed, even though you are deprived of your liberty. This guide explains your basic human rights in prison, and how they should be guaranteed.
Reasons for imprisonment
You may be placed in prison if a court has found you guilty of a crime and sentenced you to serve a prison sentence.
Your personal liberty may also be restricted if you are accused of having committed a criminal offence. In that case you may be held in detention on remand (in Slovak väzba) during your trial while you are awaiting the final judgment in your case. Legally speaking you are not in prison but in detention facility (in Slovak ústav na výkon väzby). You can read more about detention on remand in section Arrest and Detention.
The Slovak Criminal Law contains the crimes for which imprisonment may be used as a punishment.
Imprisonment & Human rights
In human rights, imprisonment and other forms of detention are considered to be a deprivation of liberty. Even though deprived of liberty, a person does not lose his or her human rights while in prison. Prisoners have the right to live a normal life as much as possible.
This means that you can establish friendships, keep in contact with your family, work and study, vote in elections, feel safe and keep yourself healthy. The State has an obligation to ensure this. Therefore, it is responsible for the living conditions, medical care, security and other aspects of life in prison.
About this Guide
This Guide will explain the conditions in which prisoners must be held, how the prison staff are to treat prisoners, the medical treatment prisoners should receive, how they can communicate with the outside world, as well as the type of work, religious and other activities prisoners may get involved in while in prison. It will also explain how prisoners can complain about issues related to their imprisonment. For your rights in detention on remand procedures, read more in the section Arrest and Detention.
Read more about your rights in prison: