Reguły Minimalne i Europejskie Reguły Więzienne a prawo więźniów do wolności sumienia i religii w Polsce
Minimum Rules and the European Prison Rules vs. the Prisoners' rights to Freedom of Conscience and Religion in Poland

Summary/Abstract: In the first part of the article, as an introduction, the author of the paper deals with the guidelines set forth by the United Nations and the Council of Europe with regard to the development and application of the executive criminal law. The second part of the paper deals with the issues concerning the Minimum Rules and the European Prison Rules. The author overviews the guidelines of the United Nations and the Council of Europe as regards treatment of persons deprived of their liberty. The next part presents the guidelines of the Minimum Rules and the European Prison Rules (in both versions) as regards the prisoners' rights to freedom of conscience and religion. The author refers the relevant provisions of these guidelines and proposes his own assessment of the solutions adopted therein. The author draws attention to the construction of religious practices and services in prison adopted in all the rules, which involves the participation in the masses, the possibility of having religious literature and meetings with a representative of a particular religious belief. In the fourth part of the article, the author analyses the religious rights of prisoners provided for under the Executive Criminal Code. He concludes that the solutions adopted in the Polish legislation on the prisoners' freedom of conscience and religion are not inconsistent with the guidelines of the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

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