A new five-year Strategy: Criminal justice reform with human rights at its core

A vision for change in a time of multidimensional crises

As we mark 35 years of Penal Reform International’s dedication to seeing human rights-based justice systems, we stand at a critical juncture. In a world where punitiveness, discrimination, and the criminalisation of society’s most vulnerable remain rampant, the demand for our work has never been greater. Today, we unveil an ambitious new strategy for 2024-28 that will guide us over the next five years, ensuring that human rights remain at the heart of criminal justice reform. 

Our three pillars for change 

At the core of our strategy are three objectives that will drive our efforts: 

1. Rehabilitate, reintegrate and empower:

We will focus on rehabilitating people in contact with criminal justice systems, ensuring their successful reintegration into society and empowering them. 

2. Human rights in daily practice

We will work towards ensuring that criminal justice practitioners apply human rights principles in their daily operations, developing a system that respects and upholds the dignity of every person. 

3. Reducing criminalisation and imprisonment

Our goal is to see fewer people criminalised, sanctioned and imprisoned. We will work to decrease the overreliance on criminal justice systems. Our goal is to promote equality, amidst increasing authoritarianism, poverty and discrimination. 

Eight strategic goals to achieve our vision 

To realise these objectives, we have identified eight strategic goals. Among these is a pioneering initiative to promote the inclusion – and leadership – of people with lived experience in criminal justice reform efforts. Their experiential and practical knowledge offer unique insights and perspectives that are often overlooked in traditional approaches. PRI is committed to using this resource to drive meaningful change. 

Launching a 10-Point Plan on involving people with Lived Experience in reform 

As part of our commitment to centring the voices and leadership of those with lived experience, we are proud to introduce a new resource today: Involving People with Lived Experience in Criminal Justice Reform: A 10-Point Plan. With a focus on fragile conflict-affected settings, it is designed to inspire and guide policymakers and practitioners in incorporating the invaluable insights of people in contact with the criminal justice system. 

This strategy and the 10-Point Plan build on PRI’s 35 years of dedicated work, which has promoted systemic change and has positively affected countless lives and communities. Our new strategy outlines our vision for the next five years, to establish human rights as the foundation of criminal justice reform.