Prison populations globally present complex healthcare needs including an increased likelihood of infection with Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and other diseases, due to a combination of factors including poor prior access to healthcare and poor prison conditions including overcrowding and inadequate access to health and harm reduction services.
Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a crucial role in improving access to healthcare in prison, including comprehensive HIV services. They are often better placed to deliver tailored HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care services, mitigate discrimination against people in and released from prison and people living with HIV, and contribute to catalysing a people-centred and rights-based response to the HIV epidemic.
Recognising the vital role of CSOs and in order to strengthen partnerships between UNODC and CSOs in this area, in October 2020, UNODC organised an introductory meeting of the first ever informal CSO group on HIV in prison. In 2022, Penal Reform International was appointed as Secretariat of the current Informal CSO Group on Health in Prison, which comprises 39 organisations working in all regions of the world.
Purpose of the Group
The Informal CSO Group on Health in Prison operates to ensure that the voices of civil society organisations working with affected communities are heard in intergovernmental and normative processes. The Group aims to raise awareness among key international and national actors on issues related to health in prison and provide coordinated contribution to UN mechanisms, especially UNODC’s work on health in prison, including reports, projects, and other materials.
It also facilitates sharing of information, co-learning and capacity-building between members, with opportunities for joint advocacy and coordinated activities, including at international events like the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) and Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).
Contact
Focal point: Tríona Lenihan, Policy and International Advocacy Manager, Penal Reform International tlenihan@penalreform.org