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24 J. Offender Rehab. 1 (1996-1997)

handle is hein.journals/wjor24 and id is 1 raw text is: Journal of Ofender Rehabiltation. Vol 24 (fQ), 1996 Pp. f 10 C 1996 by The Haworth Press, ic All nghts reserved REHABILITATION IN GERMAN PRISONS HARRY R. DAMMER Niagara Univers ABSTRACT Since 1976, with the passage of the Federal Prison Act, rehabilitation has been a major philosophical principle in German penal law and correctional practice. The purpose of this article is to describe three prominent features that promote rehabilitation in German prisons: unique environmental conditions, extensive work and training programs, and frequent use of community reintegration programs. The findings for this article were derived from three sources of information: informal interviews with German prison officials and university criminologists, a review of extant literature on German corrections, and most important, from visits to four maximum security correctional institutions in western Germany during the period of September 1993 through June 1994. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworth.com] The Federal Republic of Germany, located in the heart of Europe, is a country of approximately 80 million people living in an area roughly the size of California. With the reunification in 1990, the country is now divided into 16 Lander or states. German law is primarily codi- fled. In most cases, Federal laws are applied to all of the Lander (Herrmann, 1989). The German correctional system is primarily driven by a Federal Law, the Code on the Execution of Prison Sentences, and by Measures Involving the Deprivation of Liberty, also known as the Prison Act of 1976. The latter act states that rehabilitation is to be the major philosophical principle in the correctional setting. Consider the following sections of the law: