Legitimacy and self-legitimacy in prisons in Slovenia, 2016

Recent studies have highlighted the challenge of the applicability of predominantly Western models of explaining legitimacy in non–Western prison systems. Consequently, authors formed a model of the dual nature of legitimacy that derives from the quality of prison workers–prisoners relations and focuses attention on the self-legitimacy of the prison workers and its connection to prisoners’ perception of legitimacy of the prison workers. The purpose of the study was to test the suitability of Western models and the proposed model of the dual nature of legitimacy in Slovenia. Survey was conducted in the end of the year 2016, on the entire population of prison workers and prisoners in the entire prison system in Slovenia. The prison workers data file contains n=243 units, and prisoners n=328. Research was based on work within the TRP "Legitimacy and legality of policing, criminal justice and execution of penal sanctions » and upgraded within the work of young researcher Rok Hacin under the mentorship of Prof. PhD. Meško, with joint research work. The data collection took place after the end of the TRP and was financed from funds for a young researcher (material costs). For users PUF and ScUF (on request) version of data file of prison workers and prisoners is available for reuse. As part of the study, also a structured interviews with prisoners, prison workers and senior management were conducted in the qualitative part of research. The results are available in the doctoral thesis among the related publications.