Blog

Detaining ‘Terrorists’: Challenges, solutions and the lessons we’ve learned

Last year, researchers from the Open Society Justice Initiative and Amnesty International published a report that revealed a number of serious human rights violations at special detention units – the Terroristenafdeling – in The Netherlands, which hold people suspected and convicted of terrorism offences. In this expert blog, the report’s authors Jonathan Horowitz and Doutje Lettinga discuss the government’s response and the […]

Jonathan Horowitz and Doutje Lettinga13th November 2018

The role of internal inspections in protecting human rights in prison

The importance of independent external monitoring of prisons to prevent torture or ill-treatment from occurring is well established. Internal inspections can also play a crucial role however, and the Nelson Mandela Rules require a two-fold system that includes regular internal or administrative inspections conducted by the central prison administration. In this expert blog, Mary Rogan looks […]

Mary Rogan12th September 2018

Tobacco use in prison settings: A need for policy implementation

Rates of smoking amongst prisoners are, on the whole, much higher than in the general population. In this blog, Heino Stöver, Professor of Social Scientific Addiction Research at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, examines global data on smoking in detention facilities, and explores why prevalence rates are so high – and what needs to be […]

Heino Stöver15th August 2018

Suicide in prison: a new study on risk factors in the prison environment

In many countries, rates of suicide in prison are high, and it is recognised that prisons can exacerbate mental ill health, heighten vulnerability and increase the risk of self-harm and suicide. Taanvi Ramesh, an Assistant Psychologist in the Mental Health Team at HMP Bedford, discusses the recent international study that she and others conducted on suicide rates […]

Taanvi Ramesh13th June 2018

Global Prison Trends 2018: a global view on the state of prisons

PRI has launched its annual flagship publication, Global Prison Trends 2018. Here we publish the foreword to the report, written by the Rt Hon Helen Clark, a Member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Former Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. Every year, Global Prison Trends by […]

Rt Hon Helen Clark15th May 2018

In Brazil, prison riots and killings expose the structural failures of mass incarceration

In 2017 alone, at least 119 people were killed during prison riots in Brazil, while other prisoners have simply disappeared. Henrique Apolinario, a lawyer at Conectas Human Rights, discusses what needs to be done in order to avoid further tragedies and to address the underlying causes of the crisis. 2017 started with terrible news in Brazil. […]

Henrique Apolinario28th March 2018

Prison education: university partnerships paving the way to successful reintegration

Educational programmes in prison are ‘generally considered to have an impact on recidivism, reintegration and, more specifically, employment outcomes upon release’ (Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Vernor Muñoz). Nina Champion, Head of Policy at Prisoners’ Education Trust, looks at the importance of prison education and the increase in and impact of prison university partnerships […]

Nina Champion9th January 2018

Prisoner transportation in Russia: travelling into the unknown

Heather McGill, a researcher currently working on Central Asia for Amnesty International, discusses her recent report on prisoner transportation in Russia, which was launched in October 2017. Prisoners are always at greater risk during transportation, but prison transportation in Russia is in a league of its own. The size of the country combined with the […]

Heather McGill28th November 2017

Documenting torture technologies, less lethal weapons and restraints in detention: what, why and how?

Detailed safeguards and specialised institutions have been developed to tackle the circumstances in which torture occurs and to establish independent public oversight of places of detention. However, torture and ill-treatment are still widespread. The Omega Research Foundation, a UK-based research organisation, looks at the importance of independent monitors to document and monitor the use of weapons and […]

The Omega Research Foundation18th October 2017