THE IMPORTANCE OF DYNAMIC SECURITY FOR MAINTAINING ORDER, LEGITIMACY AND THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE IN PRISON

Abstract

The paper examines the importance of dynamic security for maintaining order, legitimacy and the prevention of violence in the prison environment. It is based on the contemporary understanding that prison security cannot be founded exclusively on static measures, such as walls, locks, cameras, physical separation and formal supervision, but depends to a considerable extent on the quality of everyday relationships between prison officers and convicted persons. Dynamic security involves the constant professional presence of officers in prison life, communication with prisoners, observation of the prison atmosphere, knowledge of individual behaviour and the ability to identify risks at an early stage. The main aim of the paper is to show that dynamic security has an important preventive function. Violence in prison does not arise solely as a consequence of the individual characteristics of convicted persons, but also as a result of the prison regime, institutional culture, the quality of management, living conditions and relationships between staff and prisoners. For this reason, the role of prison officers is particularly significant, as through everyday contact they are able to recognise changes in behaviour, tensions among prisoners and situations that may develop into conflict. Timely intervention, conflict de-escalation and the adjustment of responses to the specific situation represent key elements of dynamic security. The paper also considers the relationship between dynamic security and the legitimacy of prison authority. When convicted persons perceive prison officers as professional, consistent, fair and capable of maintaining order without unnecessary repression, the likelihood of voluntary compliance with rules increases. In this way, dynamic security contributes to a more stable prison climate, the reduction of tensions and the strengthening of trust in the institution. The paper concludes that dynamic security is not a replacement for static security, but its necessary complement. Its value lies in the fact that it connects control, communication and prevention, thereby contributing to the maintenance of order, the reduction of violence and the creation of a more humane and safer prison environment.