For the second time in the past three months, PRI has been sent a book that gives a devastating insight into the dysfunctional workings of the American criminal justice system. In the first, Nancy Mullane, also a winner in our international journalism competition last year, interviews a number of prisoners and follows their attempts to […]
8th January 2015
In early December PRI attended the 6th International Conference of the International Juvenile Justice Observatory, Making deprivation of children’s liberty a last resort – towards evidence-based policies on alternatives. The Conference, held over 2 days on 3–4 December, provided a very timely opportunity on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of […]
22nd December 2014
Thirty years after the entry into force of the UN Convention against Torture (CAT), there is still a considerable implementation gap and torture continues to exist worldwide. One of the most significant developments over the last few years has been the establishment of National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs). While these bodies carry out regular monitoring visits […]
9th December 2014
In 1989 the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment came into force, establishing the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). The CPT was the first system with a mandate to conduct visits to places of detention on a regular […]
PRI at the Crime Congress 201525th November 2014
Today (20 November) the international community is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Ratified by 194 countries worldwide, the CRC is the most widely supported treaty in international human rights history. It represents an unprecedented global commitment to address the particular needs of children, […]
20th November 2014
PRI was pleased to welcome Pussy Riot to its offices in London on Friday along with representatives from the prison reform sector in the UK, including members of the Prison Reform Trust and Women in Prison. Since being released after spending 18 months in the Russian penal system, Nadezhda (Nadia) Tolokonnikova and Maria (Masha) Alyokhina supported […]
17th November 2014
Like many countries, Jordan has had a moratorium on executions since 1996, but death sentences continue to be handed down, with 22 imposed in 2013. This article explores the government’s position on the death penalty and why many believe it should finally be taken out of the lawbooks. It was first published on 2 April 2014 in […]
3rd November 2014
PRI is currently supporting our local NGO partner, the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) to conduct research into the needs and characteristics of women prisoners in Uganda. Over 100 women prisoners have been interviewed so far with initial findings showing that many are imprisoned far away from their homes and children, receiving few or no […]
30th October 2014
From petty bribery to large-scale misappropriation of funds, corruption is rife throughout the criminal justice process in many countries and has serious implications both for the human rights of detainees and the efficient administration of justice. While anecdotal evidence about corrupt activities is plentiful, more attention is now being paid by high-level bodies and by […]
27th October 2014
In 2012, a small but innovative, participatory study with women prisoners in South Africa found that 38% of participants reported physical abuse as a child, with 29% reporting sexual abuse, and 67% experiencing physical or sexual abuse as an adult. The study also found a strong link between childhood sexual abuse and rape and violent […]
PRI at the Crime Congress 201524th October 2014