“Crisis as Opportunity – The Prison System in the Institutional Framework of a Modern State” – Training Seminar by Prof. Lasocik

On 28 April 2026, a training seminar for the managerial staff of the Polish Prison Service was held at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies. The meeting was organized and hosted by Prof. Zbigniew Lasocik, a criminologist working at our Faculty. The seminar was attended by directors of regional inspectorates of the Prison Service and directors of several key offices of the Central Board of the Prison Service, together with the Director General of the Prison Service, Colonel Renata Niziołek. A special guest was Ms Maria Ejchart, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice. Vice-Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Agnieszka Bieńczyk-Missala, opened the seminar on behalf of the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies.

The purpose of the meeting was for key officers of the Prison Service to meet on neutral ground with experts in order to conduct a dialogue on the current situation of the prison system and its immediate future. External experts were invited to the event: Dr Anna Materska-Sosnowska from the Department of Political Systems at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw, who presented the essence of a modern state governed by the rule of law and the role of uniformed services in such a state. Director Krzysztof Izdebski from the Batory Foundation, who shared with participants his reflections on the image of the Prison Service and how this image should be built. The Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Warsaw, Prof. Paweł Łuków, focused attention on the role of ethical rules in managing a contemporary public institution. Lawyer Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram highlighted the importance of human rights in managing such a unique institution as a correctional facility.

At the end of the meeting, a discussion was held on the institutional shape of the vision of an exemplary, ideal prison. The training constituted an important step towards optimizing the functioning of the prison system and creating a vision for this institution in the future.