In this blog, PRI’s Vicki Prais, looks at the challenges faced by elderly people in prison, sentenced to life imprisonment. Vicki notes that the ‘greying’ of the prison population has seen an upward trend and warrants attention as it is a group that will certainly grow given the rise in life sentences handed down globally. […]
23rd August 2019
The blog is produced within the framework of the EU-funded project „Monitoring Government’s Commitments and Promoting the Reforms in the Penal Sector through the Engagement of CSOs“ implemented by Penal Reform International together with the partner organizations: Rehabilitation Initiative of Vulnerable Groups and Human Rights Center. At the end of last year, our organization (Penal […]
15th April 2019
ბლოგი შექმნილია ევროკავშირის მიერ დაფინანსებული პროექტის „სასჯელაღსრულებისა და პრობაციის რეფორმების ხელშეწყობა და მონიტორინგი სამოქალაქო საზოგადოების ჩართულობით“ ფარგლებში, რომელსაც ახორციელებს ორგანიზაცია „ციხის საერთაშორისო რეფორმა“ პარტნიორ ორგანიზაციებთან – „ინიციატივა მოწყვლადი ჯგუფების რეაბილიტაციისათვის“ და „ადამიანის უფლებათა ცენტრი“ – ერთად. გასული წლის ბოლოს სახალხო დამცველის პრევენციის ეროვნული მექანიზმის მანდატით, ჩვენი ორგანიზაცია („ციხის საერთაშორისო რეფორმა“) თავის პარტნიორ ორგანიზაცებთან ერთად („ადამიანის […]
10th April 2019
The UN Nelson Mandela Rules state that ‘the use of chains, irons or other instruments of restraint which are inherently degrading or painful shall be prohibited’. With no global prohibitions on the manufacture, trade and use of torture equipment however, it is highly important that independent monitoring bodies are able to effectively monitor the use of weapons […]
10th December 2018
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons in detention – or persons perceived as belonging to this group – are in a situation of particular vulnerability and at risk of human rights violations and abuses, including by fellow detainees, throughout the entire criminal justice system. In this blog, Jean-Sébastien Blanc of the Association for the Prevention […]
4th December 2018
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 […]
13th November 2018
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 […]
12th September 2018
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 […]
15th August 2018
Today marks 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela, and around the world people are reflecting on his legacy. On this centenary, PRI reflects on one of his more recent legacies – the revised UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, adopted in 2015 as the Nelson Mandela Rules. The Mandela Rules detail the minimum standards […]
18th July 2018
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 […]
13th June 2018