Solitary confinement
We work to eliminate the use of solitary confinement by raising awareness of the effects of its overuse and developing guidelines on humane prison management.
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People in detention are forgotten or ignored in COVID-19 responses, says new PRI briefing
A new briefing, Coronavirus: Preventing harm and human rights violations in criminal justice systems, highlights the impact of responses to COVID-19 on people in detention – amounting to 11 million people – who have been left behind, ignored or forgotten.
Blog post
People in detention are forgotten or ignored in COVID-19 responses – new PRI briefing calls for action
In this blog, as we publish a new briefing on coronavirus and criminal justice systems, Penal Reform International’s Executive Director, Florian Irminger, reflects on measures taken in response to the pandemic and what needs to be done - now and in the longer term - to prevent harm and human rights violations.
14th July 2020
Blog post
Separation and solitary confinement in the revised 2020 European Prison Rules – First thoughts
The European Prison Rules (and their Commentary) were recently revised by the Council of Europe. The most notable changes arguably concern the rules guiding prison authorities on the separation and solitary confinement of prisoners. In this article written for PRI, Professor Dirk van Zyl Smit, who was expert adviser to the Penological Council of the Council of Europe on the revision, shares his first thoughts on what these new limitations on separation and solitary confinement mean for prison management and the human rights of prisoners.
10th July 2020