Resources listing

Guidelines

Protecting Human Rights in Prisons while Preventing Radicalization Leading to Terrorism or Violence: A Guide for Detention Monitors

With an increasing focus at the international, regional and national levels on preventing and countering radicalization leading to terrorism or violence (VERLT), particularly in the prison context, states often adopt measures that can have profound impacts on an individual’s human rights. Scrutiny by independent monitors is, therefore, pivotal in ensuring that all such measures are […]

Languages: English, French, Russian

Public Statement

Joint Call to Action to implement the UN Bangkok Rules

December 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules). Ten years on, we have seen progress for women in criminal justice systems in some areas, and this is to be celebrated, but implementation of the […]

Languages: Arabic, English, French, Russian, Spanish

Report

Global Prison Trends 2020

PRI’s flagship publication Global Prison Trends, published alongside the Thailand Institute of Justice, was published in April 2020 – at a crucial time – as prisons worldwide are being pushed to breaking point by the COVID-19 pandemic. Global Prison Trends 2020 documents the chronic issues that have led to this human rights and public health […]

Languages: English, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish

Report

National Demilitarisation Strategy for Central African Republic / Strategie nationale de démilitarisation des établissements pénitentiaires de la République Centrafricaine

National strategy for the demilitarisation of prison establishments in the Central African Republic, approved by the government and signed by the Prime Minister on 14 January 2019. The strategy has been prepared with the technical assistance of Penal Reform International (PRI) and the Judicial and Penitentiary Affairs Section of the United Nations Integrated Multidimensional Mission […]

Languages: English, French

Briefing

Prison conditions for women facing the death penalty: A factsheet

There are at least 500 women currently on death row around the world. While exact figures are impossible to obtain, it is estimated that over 100 women have been executed in the last 10 years – and potentially hundreds more. Little empirical data exists about the crimes for which women have been sentenced to death, the […]

Languages: Arabic, English, French

Briefing

Life imprisonment: A policy briefing

Between the years 2000 and 2014, there was an increase of almost 84 per cent in the number of those serving formal life sentences worldwide. However, since a United Nations report on life imprisonment 20 years ago, there has been no international assessment of the use of and issues surrounding life imprisonment, despite substantial developments […]

Languages: Arabic, English, French, Japanese, Russian

Briefing

Short Guide to the Nelson Mandela Rules (revised Standard Minimum Rules)

This Short Guide summarises the 122 Rules of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners which were revised by the UN in 2015. The Guide, which outlines the minimum standards that should be applied in prisons from admission to release, will be useful for policy-makers developing national prison management standards and guidelines and […]

Languages: Amharic, English, French, Georgian, Haitian Creole, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Thai

International Standard

UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules)

The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (SMRs) were initially adopted by the UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in 1955, and approved by the UN Economic and Social Council in 1957.  The Nelson Mandela Rules: an animated introduction from Penal Reform International on Vimeo. […]

Languages: Uzbek, Arabic, Chinese, English, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Tajik

Report

A shared sentence: children of imprisoned parents in Uganda

It is estimated that 200,000 children in Uganda have a parent in prison at any one time. Children of prisoners in Uganda and across Africa face many violations of their rights when their parents or primary caregivers are arrested and detained. They are confronted with the trauma of separation but also have to contend with subtle and not so subtle stigma […]

Languages: English, French