Blog

How can the Mandela Rules be put into practice in Uganda and in other African countries?

On 10 March 2016, PRI’s new Africa Office held a round table discussion in Kampala, Uganda on the implementation of the Revised UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules). Omar Phoenix Khan, Project Coordinator  EXTRA (Excellence in Training on Rehabilitation in Africa) Project Coordinator attended the discussions, along with PRI’s Executive Director, Alison Hannah and […]

Omar Phoenix Khan11th April 2016

After CND, what hope remains for drug policy reform at UNGASS?

The 59th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), along with its UNGASS Preparatory Session took place from 14th to 22nd March 2016 in Vienna. This year’s meeting included a preparatory session for the forthcoming UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem and agreed an ‘outcome document’ which sets out what will […]

Oliver Robertson31st March 2016

Can a tiger change its stripes? Why we should consider what prisoners wear

Everyone deprived of their liberty has the right to clothing that is adequate, appropriate to the season, and does not humiliate or degrade. However, research into fashion and clothing suggests that rather than just being mere fabric to cover us up and keep us warm or cool, clothing can be significant for our sense of self and dignity. This blog is […]

Harriet Lowe11th March 2016

Nourish: thinking about food in prison

In many countries, prison food is insufficient in quantity and quality. Budgets are low (less than 0.5 USD per prisoner per day according to data recently gathered by PRI) and there have been cases where prisoners have died from starvation. In higher-income countries, food is more available but still may not be ‘of nutritional value adequate for health and strength, of wholesome quality and […]

Amy Smoyer25th January 2016

“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

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

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

Investing in decongesting: building community service staff capacity in Uganda

In late August, PRI brought together members of local criminal justice agencies across Jinja, Mbale and Iganga, Uganda, in order to raise awareness and promote community service as an alternative to imprisoning people for petty crimes. Police, Prison and Probation Officers as well as Court Clerks took part in a day of discussion and learning […]

Omar Phoenix Khan1st September 2015

In California’s experience, it isn’t bigger prisons that crime victims want

‘Tough on crime’ policies are often justified on the basis that putting people in prison for longer is what victims want and deserve. In 2013, Californians for Safety and Justice, which campaigns for more effective public safety policy − conducted a survey to find out whether this was what victims in California actually did want. The results turned the established narrative […]

Lenore Anderson25th August 2015