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 […]
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 […]