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PRI’s First Mission to Türkiye: Advancing Human Rights in Prisons

Photo caption: PRI meeting with Directorate General of prisons and Detention Houses From 20–25 October 2024, Penal Reform International (PRI) embarked on its first mission to Türkiye for an  EU-funded initiative. This four-year project, implemented in partnership with the Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CISST), aims to support the improvement of detention conditions and […]

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UNICRI and Penal Reform International sign MoU to research the Intersection of Environmental Sustainability and Rehabilitation in Prisons

Vienna— The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and Penal Reform International (PRI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Vienna during the 33rd session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ). Under this newly signed MoU, UNICRI and PRI will conduct a comprehensive study to address the critical […]

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Hybrid side event #CND67: The challenges and opportunities of opioid agonist treatment in prison settings

Organised by Penal Reform International with the support of Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, UK, USA, UNODC HIV/AIDS Section, HRI, INPUD and ENPUD. People in prison bear a disproportionate burden of health-related issues, characterised by a higher prevalence of chronic physical […]

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Stocktaking Meeting on the Implementation of the Bangkok Rules

Monday 15 April 2024 – 9.00am – 4.30 pm The Hague Humanities Hub, the Hague, the Netherlands Background In 2010, the General Assembly adopted UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) to address the gender-specific needs of women offenders and women in prisons. These rules […]

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Expert meeting on the human rights implications of electronic monitoring

On 27 June 2023, a range of experts gathered in Brussels to discuss the use of electronic monitoring (“EM”) and related human rights implications. Participants included academics, representatives from national probation agencies, the Confederation of European Probation (CEP), the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and civil society groups. […]

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PRI brings together experts in a roundtable on Roma and non-custodial sanctions

On 7 March 2023, PRI hosted a multi-stakeholder regional roundtable in Brussels to discuss and address problems faced by Roma in European criminal justice systems, especially within the context of implementing non-custodial sanctions and measures. The roundtable discussions benefitted from the expertise and perspective of criminal justice practitioners from seven European countries as well as […]

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New PRI project tackles violence against children in detention in Europe

Next month (March 2023) PRI is embarking on a new project under PRI’s Europe programme to improve monitoring and addressing of violence against children in detention in the EU. Funded by the European Commission’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, the Data for Monitoring the Safety of Imprisoned Children – Data MOSAIC project will […]

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Training in Hungary on non-discrimination in community-based sanctions

On 16-18 November, a diverse group of nearly 70 Hungarian criminal justice stakeholders gathered in Budapest for training workshops and knowledge sharing delivered as part of PRI’s ongoing work in Europe. Led by our partners at the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, the three-day event included presentations on international standards, good practices, experiences and considerations of specific […]

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“The system is just not ready” – Promoting alternatives to imprisonment in Hungary

Is strict penal policy good? What can the Hungarian criminal justice system learn from other countries’ use of non-custodial sanctions? Would the introduction of sentencing guidelines change practice and reduce discrimination? Why are available non-custodial sanctions not used more? How can we address common barriers to better use of community-based sanctions? What can we do […]

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Criminal justice stakeholders come together for improved non-custodial sanctions in Portugal

As part of ongoing work in Europe, PRI traveled to Coimbra, Portugal on 4 and 5 November to meet with criminal justice stakeholders and our partner the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra for discussions on ways to make non-custodial sanctions and measures in the country more readily available for all, supporting flexibility, responsivity and fairness in their use and implementation, also in times of crises such as the […]