News
Press conference held in Kazakhstan on prison reform: expectations and reality
On 23 February 2017, Penal Reform International Central Asia, convened a press conference on ‘Prison reform in Kazakhstan: expectations and reality’. It coincided with the 10th anniversary of the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, the UN detention monitoring body. PRI presented some trends in prison reform globally, and developments in Kazakhstan over the […]
Press release
Central Asian penal reform leaders gather in Tajikistan to promote rehabilitation programmes in prisons
On 20-21 December 2016, over 50 policy-makers, justice professionals and other experts gathered from around Central Asia for a workshop convened by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime – in co-operation with PRI and hosted by the Government of Tajikistan – in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Discussions centered around the importance of rehabilitation programmes in prison, […]
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Government, civil society and international experts gather in Kazakhstan, to discuss treatment of children in institutions
Between 13 and 15 September, PRI’s Central Asia office hosted an International Symposium on the prevention of violence against children in closed institutions in Central Asia in Astana, Kazakhstan. Around two hundred delegates attended from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – penitentiary staff, judicial personnel, police, representatives from various child rights organisations (state and NGOs), as […]
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Preventing radicalisation in prisons discussed at expert roundtable in Kazakhstan
At the end of June, PRI Central Asia and the Penal Committee, Ministry of Interior, Kazakhstan, supported by the US embassy, jointly organised a roundtable to discuss strategies for preventing radicalisation in prisons. Data shows that the number of those convicted of violent extremist and terrorist crimes is growing everywhere. In Kazakhstan, currently more than 120 […]
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 […]
Press release
Press release: A new era for the prison system and protection of prisoners’ rights
On International Human Rights Day, Penal Reform International in Central Asia – in cooperation with the Committee on Legislation, Judicial and Legal Reform of the Majilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Regional Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Public Monitoring Commissions of Kazakhstan – […]
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PRI brings five Central Asian countries together to discuss tackling violence against children in institutions
From 2-4 September, PRI in Central Asia held the Central Asian Dialogue on prevention of violence against children and the rights of children in difficult circumstances. While numbers are falling, some 30,000 children are estimated to be held in closed institutions across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Research by PRI carried out in late 2014 found […]
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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 […]
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National Preventive Mechanism of Kazakhstan launches its first annual report
In May, the National Preventive Mechanism of Kazakhstan and the Ombudsman’s Office launched their consolidated annual report for 2014. The NPM was established in law in July 2013 and started carrying out monitoring visits in Spring 2014. The launch meeting was attended by Arman Danielyan, member of the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture […]
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Kazakhstan and Tajikistan: prioritising employment and reintegration
In both Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, PRI is working with the governments and prison authorities to improve rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners, with a focus on providing more marketable employment opportunities in prison. In Kazakhstan, the President has identified the rule of law as a priority area. Improving the resocialisation of prisoners and creating employment in […]