Blog

Nature-based detention houses

In a context of climate crisis and rising costs, prisons, like all institutions, must take action to be more sustainable and minimise impact on the environment. In this blog, Wiep Fokker from Restorative Justice Netherlands makes the case for nature-based detention houses as an ecologically sustainable model for penal reform. The climate and biodiversity crisis […]

Wiep Fokker24th October 2023

The over-penalisation of poverty through fines and fees

In many countries around the world, criminal justice fines disproportionately affect the poorest and most marginalised in society, effectively creating tiered justice systems. In this blog, Jean Galbraith and Rheem Brooks from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School summarise the findings of new research and discuss what international human rights and criminal justice communities […]

Jean Galbraith and Rheem Brooks16th October 2023

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights calls for transformative change in drug policy in ambitious new report

Punitive drug policies are a key driver of criminalisation and imprisonment worldwide, with drug offences accounting for 22% of the global prison population. In this blog, Ann Fordham, Executive Director of the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), considers a groundbreaking report on the human rights impact of the ‘war on drugs’. This article was originally […]

Ann Fordham4th October 2023

Three ways to reduce the number of women in prison in the Americas

In July 2023, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights presented its first ever report detailing the scale and situation of women deprived of liberty in the Americas. In this blog, Coletta Youngers considers its findings and their importance for efforts to reduce women’s incarceration across the region. This article was originally published by WOLA (Washington […]

Coletta Youngers16th August 2023

Tres formas de reducir el número de mujeres encarceladas en las Américas

En julio de 2023, la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos presentó su primer informe sobre la magnitud y la situación de las mujeres privadas de libertad en las Américas. En este blog, Coletta Youngers analiza sus conclusiones y su importancia para los esfuerzos por reducir el encarcelamiento de mujeres en toda la región. Este artículo […]

Coletta Youngers16th August 2023

Poverty and detention: Are legal frameworks adequate?

Pre-trial detention contributes significantly to prison overcrowding and causes a range of harms to individuals, their familes, and society. But what is driving its use? In this blog, Madhurima Dhanuka from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative presents the findings of a recent report and explores the disproportionate impact of pre-trial detention on poor and marginalised […]

Madhurima Dhanuka26th June 2023

Restorative, teen-administered juvenile justice past and present

While 261,200 children are estimated to be in detention globally, child-specific justice legislation, child-friendly courts and specialised procedures continue to divert children away from the criminal justice system and contribute to a decrease in the number of children in prison in many countries. In this blog, Milana Carse examines teen courts in the US as […]

Milana Carse9th May 2023

The role of probation in mental health support – new recommendations in Europe

The prevalence of mental health conditions among individuals in contact with criminal justice systems is disproportionately high, when compared to the general population. Reductions in community mental health services, coupled with limited capacities within prison and probation services make the provision of mental health support to individuals under supervision a major challenge. In this blog […]

Charlie Brooker31st January 2023

A global perspective on prison officer training and why it matters

Global Prison Trends 2022 highlighted severe staffing shortages in prisons and challenges shared across prison systems worldwide in maintaining adequate staffing levels. In the latest blog of our series examining trends identified in the report, Ella Töyrylä, a former prison officer in England, considers the importance of training provided for prison officers for staff retention, […]

Ella Töyrylä23rd November 2022

States must protect and respect the rights of older persons deprived of liberty

The proportion of older persons in prison is rising in many countries but their needs are mostly overlooked, leading to human rights violations. In this blog, Claudia Mahler, UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, presents her latest report dedicated to older persons deprived of liberty. On 19 September […]

Claudia Mahler26th October 2022