A category C prison in Cumbria is to be twinned with one of Hungary's strictest high security jails so workers can swap best practice.
Haverigg is a category C establishment for male prisoners
Haverigg Prison, near Millom, houses male offenders but the only facility it has in common with Soprum in Hungary is a woodwork room.
However, a delegation from the overseas jail has been impressed by Haverigg's work with inmates with drug problems.
Over the next few years both institutions intend to share ideas.
A category C prison is for offenders thought to be of very little threat to the public.
Clive Chatterton, Haverigg governor, has already visited Soprum.
He said: "I think the only similarity between the two prisons is that we both have a woodwork shop, they make sheds like we do, but we don't have machine gun towers.
"But they do have enhanced family visits which impressed me because on the one hand the regime is more austere, but on the other hand they have full day family visits in a relaxed atmosphere."
A spokesman for Soprum Prison, said his team was impressed by the prison's facilities.
He said: "There is a wider range of course and educational facilities, but this may be more down to funding differences.
"There are many techniques used here that we can take back which would be compatible with Hungarian prison rules.
"One of the main benefits of the visit was to see how our Haverigg colleagues are at a more advanced stage of responding to drug problems."