News
PRI wins President’s Award at the 2017 ICPA conference
Executive Director Alison Hannah with the President’s Award The International Corrections & Prisons Association (ICPA) held its 19th AGM and conference in London from 22–27 October. With a theme of ‘Innovation in Rehabilitation: Building Better Futures’, it gathered over 600 prisons and corrections experts from around the world to exchange information about innovatory initiatives and good […]
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PRI to host breakfast briefing on Global Prison Trends 2017
Next week, PRI will host a breakfast briefing to present analysis of global crime trends and the use of imprisonment, including emerging issues and challenges, from the Global Prison Trends 2017 report. The briefing, which will take place on Wednesday 25 October at the ICPA 2017 conference in London, will also look at the contribution […]
News
Strengthening monitoring of psychiatric institutions in South Caucasus
Last month, PRI’s South Caucasus office conducted training in Armenia for members of Armenian and Georgian National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) on the monitoring of psychiatric institutions. Independent police and prison monitoring boards operating in Armenia also attended. The training, which was led by Vladimir Ortakov, a psychiatrist and former member and Vice-President of the Committee for the […]
News
A human rights-based approach to criminal justice: training for police in Algeria
PRI’s Middle East and North Africa office (MENA), in partnership with the National Council for Human Rights, last month organised a training workshop for police in Bejaia, Algeria, on the rights of accused persons in the criminal justice system. The workshop aimed to increase the participants’ skills and knowledge of international standards and good practice in […]
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]