Experiencing imprisonment in Spain

Europe has built a humanitarian criminal policy regarding imprisonment with three basic principles – limitation of the use of prison, normalization of prison life and reintegration as the main aim of the deprivation of freedom – and it seems relevant to assess whether single penitentiary systems in Spain achieve this European ideal. The paper analyses the reality of imprisonment in Spain by surveying a representative sample of persons who have experienced imprisonment in one of its regions. The paper reveals a more positive fulfilment of the principles of normalization and reintegration than previous literature has demonstrated. However, in both the normalization and the reintegration principles, there appear aspects of concern that require the implementation of new policies.