News
New resources launched for implementing a gender-sensitive approach to non-custodial sentences
PRI has launched a number of new resources for implementing a gender-sensitive approach to non-custodial sentences. Typically, women are convicted of petty crimes closely linked to poverty, and gender-sensitive alternatives therefore carry a huge potential to avoid imprisonment. However, non-custodial sentences globally have been almost exclusively created for men, by men, and the differing needs and […]
News
PRI launches new report: Global Prison Trends 2017
Today, PRI launches its annual flagship publication, Global Prison Trends 2017, at the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Global Prison Trends 2017 identifies the topical developments and challenges in criminal justice and prison policy and practice over the past 12 months, and highlights some significant reports and jurisprudence. It is the third edition […]
News
Results from Penal Reform International’s project on women in criminal justice system in Georgia
In December 2016, Penal Reform International concluded a one-year project that was dedicated to pursuing a gender-specific criminal justice system in Georgia, in line with the UN Bangkok Rules. The work, funded by Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF), included advocacy and technical assistance to implement gender-specific approaches, in legislation, policy and practice. As part of […]
Press release
Historic update of international prison standards by the UN
Last Thursday the plenary of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the revised UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners – to be known as the ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’. ‘PRI is delighted at the successful outcome of this four-year review process. The updating of this key set of widely used standards, last Thursday, is […]
News
Prison monitors from 13 countries attend summer school on the UN Bangkok Rules
In late August, 16 members and staff of National Preventative Mechanisms (NPMs) from 13 countries gathered for a summer school in Bristol, UK, on preventing torture and ill-treatment through gender-sensitive monitoring. Organised by PRI and the University of Bristol, in partnership with the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), the four day summer school […]
News
‘Mandela Rules’ on prisoner treatment adopted
PRI is delighted to report that the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ or Crime Commission) adopted revised Standard Minimum Rules (SMR) for the Treatment of Prisoners at its 24th session last week. The adoption of the revised Rules – to be known as the ‘the Mandela Rules’ – is a historic moment […]
News
Summer school for NPMs: preventing torture through gender-sensitive monitoring
From 10-13 August 2015, PRI and the University of Bristol in association with the Association for the Prevention of Torture will be running a Summer School for members and staff of National Preventive Mechanisms on ‘Preventing torture and ill-treatment of female detainees through gender-sensitive monitoring’. The Summer School will take place in Bristol, UK (2 hours […]
News
PRI calls on Human Rights Council to address prison overcrowding as a human rights issue
PRI is calling on the Human Rights Council and its bodies today to address as a human rights issue the overuse of imprisonment and the deplorable overcrowded conditions in prisons that it causes. Read this news article in Arabic / العربية In the Panel Discussion on Persons Deprived of their Liberty during this 27th Regular Session […]
News
UN Committee makes recommendations to Georgia on women in prison
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has issued its Concluding observations on Georgia’s combined fourth and fifth periodic reports, examined in July 2014. Read the report here. Regarding women in detention, the Committee expressed concern at the lack of gender sensitive, accessible and evidence-based drug treatment programmes for women and recommended the provision of ‘gender sensitive and evidence […]
News
Is a prison sentence the only solution? Our new animation is launched at the Crime Commission
This week, PRI celebrated its 25th anniversary, this time in Vienna, by launching a short new animated film on the impact of unnecessary imprisonment and non-custodial alternatives at the United Nations Crime Commission. In just 2.5 mins the animation seeks to raise some important questions about the use of custodial sentences, particular for minor offences. While for serious […]