PRIMARY LEGAL AID AS A MECHANISM FOR ENSURING PRISONERS’ RIGHT TO EDUCATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67457/lv26.2.06Keywords:
right to education, prisoners, penitentiary system, primary legal aid, social rights, access to information, procedural safeguards, international standards, Republic of Moldova, legal status of prisonersAbstract
This article examines primary legal aid as a mechanism for securing prisoners’ right to education in conditions of deprivation of liberty. Drawing on international standards, European practice and data from the Republic of Moldova, it explores the relationship between the formal recognition of the right to education and its actual implementation within the penitentiary system. The analysis demonstrates that, while the prison population exhibits significant educational vulnerability, it is often accompanied by a pronounced motivation to learn; however, access to educational programmes remains constrained by institutional, procedural and informational barriers. It is argued that primary legal aid performs a system-forming function, transforming an abstract legal guarantee into a practically attainable opportunity. The article concludes by emphasising the need to strengthen the advisory component of legal aid as part of a comprehensive framework for ensuring prisoners’ educational rights.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Vadim SUHOV, Svetlana GHEORGHIEVA (Author)
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