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PRI works with UN Committee against Torture to address vulnerable groups in detention
The UN Committee against Torture invited PRI to facilitate a one-day workshop on vulnerable groups in detention on 2 August 2018, within their regular session in Geneva. The workshop was supported by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Association for the Prevention of Torture. PRI brought together a range of expert representatives from national […]
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PRI to co-organise conference on women in prison
Penal Reform International and the Vance Center are co-organising a conference on Women in prison: evidence, advocacy and reform, in Bogota from 5–7 September 2018. The conference will bring together 45 women prisoners’ rights advocates from the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe to share information about conditions of women’s imprisonment in their respective countries and regions and […]
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PRI publishes latest annual report
PRI has published its latest annual report, which outlines the impact of our work and achievements from 2017. The report, which includes messages from PRI’s Executive Director Alison Hannah and PRI’s Chair Dirk van Zyl Smit, showcases the work of PRI’s regional offices as well as our international advocacy work, and explores the impact of our publications and resources. […]
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Penal Reform International appoints Florian Irminger to lead organisation
We are pleased to announce that Florian Irminger will join Penal Reform International as Executive Director from 3 September 2018. Florian is currently Head of Advocacy at Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) in Geneva. Before joining HRHF, Florian co-founded ‘Stop Suicide’, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the prevention of suicide among young people in Switzerland. In 2011, he was […]
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Experts discuss Global Prison Trends at London panel event
Yesterday, Penal Reform International hosted an expert panel event in London to mark the UK launch of Global Prison Trends 2018. Published last month, Global Prison Trends 2018 is the fourth edition in PRI’s annual flagship Global Prison Trends series. The panel event, which took place at Linklaters LLP, brought together experts to discuss the most urgent and emerging issues […]
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The role of corrections in peace operations
Last week, the Group of Friends of Corrections in Peace Operations (GoF) held its annual meeting in New York, which PRI’s Executive Director, Alison Hannah, attended as an Observer. The GoF provides support for corrections work in UN peace operations, strengthening prison services through promoting the deployment of expert corrections personnel and exchanging good practice […]
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PRI launches Global Prison Trends 2018
Today, PRI launches its annual flagship publication, Global Prison Trends 2018, at the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Global Prison Trends 2018 is the fourth edition in PRI’s annual flagship Global Prison Trends series, and is published in collaboration with the Thailand Institute of Justice. It identifies topical developments and challenges in criminal justice and prison policy and practice over the past […]
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PRI publishes guidance for prison staff on mental health
Today, Penal Reform International has published a new short guide for prison staff on addressing the mental health needs of prisoners. People in prison – totalling 10.2 million people on any given day – are disproportionately affected by mental ill-health, with around one in seven having a serious mental health condition. While there is growing […]
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Meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: a look at reducing pre-trial detention in efforts to achieve Goal 16
On 12 April 2018, PRI participated in a round table convened on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) in London, to discuss pre-trial detention in Commonwealth countries. The event was hosted by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in partnership with the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), PRI, Fair Trials, the […]
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PRI at the UN Crime Commission 2018
The UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice will convene in Vienna between 14–18 May 2018. The UN Crime Commission meets annually and is the principal policymaking body of the UN in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. It is therefore of key relevance to PRI’s mission. The Commission is the preparatory body for […]