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
For the twelfth year, governments and NGOs have been commemorating World Day Against the Death Penalty. While the major theme is always “get rid of capital punishment!”, each year there is a particular issue or world region that gets particularly emphasised. This year that theme is mental illness. Mental illness and the death penalty is […]
10th October 2014
In 2009, the Red Cross started a programme in Ireland to train volunteer prisoners on community-based health and first aid. Following the course, the volunteers implemented a range of projects to improve health and conditions in prison – from hand-washing to improving take-up of HIV testing to reducing violence. PRI’s Executive Director was impressed by the results […]
9th October 2014
Denis Angeri of Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) Uganda, praises the commitment of the Ugandan government to children’s rights but says that much more needs to be done to protect children in conflict with the law. In particular, stronger measures are needed to protect the growing number of street children who should be protected but are frequently rounded […]
3rd October 2014
In many countries around the world, the number of older people in prison is growing fast. In the fifth expert blog in our anniversary series, Bridget Sleap, Senior Rights Policy Adviser at HelpAge International, outlines some of the challenges that older prisoners face in prisons, which – whether in terms of their lay-out, regime, healthcare […]
25th September 2014
This is one of a series of posts by Jo Baker on her research last year among women’s prisons and prison communities in Albania, Guatemala, Jordan, the Philippines and Zambia, with DIGNITY, the Danish Institute Against Torture, now published as a report. Although women face many risks and problems in prison, they may be less likely […]
22nd September 2014