Blog Archive - Page 21 of 34 - Penal Reform International

“Minus the urinals and painted pink”? What should a women’s prison look like?

Historically prison buildings have largely been designed for the majority male prisoner population. However, the growing understanding that women who offend are different from men − from their typical backgrounds and the nature of their offences, to their experience of abuse and their care-taking responsibilities is also leading architects and planners to consider how prison facilities might also be designed […]

Laura Maiello & Stephen Carter9th December 2015

Research shows Uganda needs to improve implementation of good policies to protect children of prisoners

What happens to children in Uganda when their parents or caregivers are imprisoned? Who are they? How many are they? Where do they live? Are they still be able to attend school? Who cares for them in the absence of their parents? Does the criminal justice system take their existence into account when sentencing their […]

Diva Mukisa, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative1st December 2015

No prison is an island – the role of civil society in post-conflict penal reform

Restoring the justice and prison systems back to working order is an essential and often urgent task for post-conflict states. In this expert blog for PRI, Terry Hackett, Warden of Pacific Institution in British Columbia (BC), Canada, draws on his recent research into civil society action in justice and correctional reform in Rwanda after the […]

Terry Hackett25th November 2015

50 years since abolition: what can other states take from the UK’s experience of ending the death penalty

On the 50th anniversary of the de facto abolition of the death penalty in the UK, PRI’s Oliver Robertson says that while the path to abolition has varied from country to country, the UK’s swift conversion of a moratorium to abolition in five years may have lessons for some states today. This week marks 50 years […]

Oliver Robertson12th November 2015

Preventing infectious diseases in prisons: a public health and human rights imperative

The spread of infectious diseases is a serious problem in prison systems worldwide, with prisoners often many times more likely to be living with Tuberculosis, HIV or hepatitis than a person in the broader community. Alongside the generally poor and unsanitary conditions prevalent in prisons, one major route to infection is unsafe injecting drug use. […]

Gen Sander23rd October 2015

Complaints, inspection and legal aid are three areas where the Mandela Rules provide stronger guidance

On 7 October, the UN Office of Drugs and Crime held a high level launch of the Mandela Rules (to be adopted later this year) in the course of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly. PRI’s Executive Director participated on the panel and provided an overview of three areas – complaints, inspection and […]

Alison Hannah21st October 2015

PRI’s Executive Director discusses our Sharia law and the death penalty report at the UK Foreign Office

On 14 October, Alison Hannah, PRI’s Executive Director, gave a presentation at a discussion hosted by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the abolition of the death penalty and Sharia Law. The aim was to explore the role of Sharia in the death penalty and the criminal justice systems of Muslim countries in the […]

Alison Hannah18th October 2015

خواطر ناشطة ضد عقوبة الإعدام بمناسبة اليوم العالمي لمناهضة عقوبة الإعدام

بناءً على قناعات راسخه في وجداني، كنت وما زلت من المدافعين عن حق الإنسان في الحياة، وأن ينعم بالكرامة المتأصلة فيه، ولم أتوانى في يوم من الأيام عن المشاركة في الفعاليات التي تدعو إلى مناهضة عقوبة الإعدام، بل ولم أقبل كناشطة أن يبرر الحكم أو تنفيذ هذه العقوبة تحت أي ظرف من الظروف أو بأي […]

Taghreed Jaber12th October 2015

Jailed for watching daytime TV: the need for prison reform in Africa

In a recent report on over-incarceration and overcrowding, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights argued that that custodial sentences should be imposed as measures of last resort and applied proportionately to meet a pressing societal need. A recent visit to East Africa by Rob Allen illustrated that much more needs to be done if that […]

Rob Allen7th October 2015

The European Supervision Order for transfer of defendants: why hasn’t it worked?

Foreign national prisoners often suffer disproportionately in the criminal justice system. They may have to negotiate prison life whilst contending with a different culture, language and without the regular family contact or visitors other prisoners may enjoy. As the number of foreign nationals in prison is considerable in many countries, the issue of the transfer […]

Bruno Min25th September 2015