Resources listing

Submission

Statement to the Human Rights Council, March 2014: Revision process of Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners

This oral statement submitted to the 25th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, taking place in Geneva between 3 – 28 March 2014, is a joint statement from PRI, American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales, Conectas, the International Commission of Jurists, and the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care. […]

Languages: English

Briefing

Detention Monitoring Tool: Staff working conditions

Prison officers come into contact with prisoners on a daily basis and have almost absolute power over detainees who rely on them for their basic needs. The way prison officers perceive their working conditions how they are treated by managers and colleagues has a significant impact on the atmosphere in detention and the treatment of […]

Languages: English, French, Georgian, Russian, Spanish

Briefing

Detention Monitoring Tool: Instruments of restraint

While they may sometime be a necessary measure to provide security and order in a custodial setting (eg to prevent inter-prisoner violence or escape), instruments of restraint pose a high risk for torture or other ill-treatment due to their highly intrusive nature and the risk of causing injury, pain and/or humiliation. They may even be […]

Languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish

Briefing

Detention Monitoring Tool: Body searches

While a legitimate security measure under certain circumstances, body searches also represent a high-risk situation for abuse, ill-treatment and even torture; they may also be used to intimidate, harass, retaliate or discriminate. This Factsheet: lists the relevant international standards identifies types and situations of risk provides checklists of questions that monitoring bodies can ask for […]

Languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish

Briefing

Detention Monitoring Tool: Video recording in police custody

CCTV can be important safeguard against torture and ill-treatment in places of deprivation of liberty when used appropriately. However, without policies to regulate it use and proper systems for maintenance and storage, it will not only be ineffective at preventing abuse but can also infringe detainees’ right to privacy and confidentiality. This Factsheet: lists the […]

Languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish

Report

Balancing security and dignity in prisons: a framework for preventive monitoring

In many countries, whether driven by political or media pressure for tighter security, a punitive approach to imprisonment, inadequate staff-prisoner ratios or a lack of training on inter-personal skills, de-escalation and mediation, prison management often takes unnecessary or disproportionate recourse to security measures in violation of detainees’ right to dignity. This paper aims to provide […]

Languages: Uzbek, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Tajik

Annual Report

PRI Annual Report 2012

This year’s Annual Report looks at highlights from each month in 2012, and gives an overview of the breadth and depth of PRI’s work.

Languages: English