Resources listing

Event

Event: Pre-trial Detention – Last resort or default decision?

Organised by EuroPris and Penal Reform International, and hosted by the French prison administration, this webinar considered the use of pre-trial detention, its impact on prison overcrowding and often disproportionate application for individuals from marginalised groups. Participants heard about the newly adopted EU Commission recommendation on procedural rights of suspects and accused persons subject to […]

Languages: English, French

Briefing

Deaths in prison: Examining causes, responses, and prevention

Mortality rates are up to 50% higher in prison than in the community, linked to a wide range of causes and contributing factors which raise serious concerns for human rights, public health, and prison management. This briefing is a call to action for the international community and national actors to strengthen their approach to deaths in prisons, to take pro-active measures to prevent loss of life and, when deaths do occur, to respond appropriately to identify any systemic concerns and prevent future harm.

Languages: English

Annual Report

Annual Report 2021

PRI’s Annual Report outlines the impact of our work and achievements in 2021 nationally, regionally and internationally. Highlights in 2021 included: Publication of the Global Prison Trends 2021, in partnership with the Thailand Institute of Justice (our annual flagship publication); 17 expert blogs, covering topics from period poverty in prison to corporal punishment in penal systems, […]

Languages: English

Briefing

Technical brief: Transgender people and HIV in prisons and other closed settings

Transgender people often experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including in criminal justice systems. Evidence indicates that such marginalisation, criminalisation and discrimination can lead to greater vulnerability to and risk of long-term mental and physical health issues, including increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and experience of sexual assault. This technical […]

Languages: English

Event

Event: Global Prison Trends 2022

Global Prison Trends is Penal Reform International’s annual flagship report, published with the Thailand Institute of Justice, identifying the key trends and challenges in prison systems worldwide. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, despite repeated calls to reduce prison populations since the onset of the crisis, the global prison population has reached an all-time high. Global […]

Languages: Arabic, English

Guidelines

Good governance for prisons during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

This guide is based on research into the COVID-19 justice response around the world, including a particular focus on the responses in Kenya and Kazakhstan. The analysis examines the elements of justice system governance which enabled the sector to react quickly and effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic in prisons as well as the factors which inhibited timely, relevant responses. The guide aims to inform better governance in any future crisis situations, as well as the direction of penal reform more broadly.

Languages: English

Annual Report

Annual Report 2020

PRI’s Annual Report outlines the impact of our work and achievements in 2020 nationally, regionally and internationally. Highlights in 2020 included: Publication of the Global Prison Trends Report 2020, in partnership with the Thailand Institute of Justice (our annual flagship publication); When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, PRI respond swiftly, releasing analysis and recommendations on the effects of the […]

Languages: English

Event

Event: Natural hazards and prisons: Protecting human rights in disaster prevention, response and recovery

People in prison are among the most vulnerable to suffering from the negative effects of natural hazards. Despite international and national momentum to enhance disaster risk reduction (DRR), its application in prison systems is often not a primary concern. In recent years, people detained and working in prisons have been injured – sometimes fatally – […]

Languages: English, Spanish

Report

Baseline study on the penitentiary system of the Republic of Uzbekistan

This report ‘Strengthening the penitentiary system of the Republic of Uzbekistan: Legislation and practice’ presents the findings of baseline research examining the context of closed institutions in Uzbekistan, including governance structures, ongoing reform initiatives and trends in the rate of imprisonment. It includes a review of all relevant national policies and legislation on torture prevention […]

Languages: English, Russian

Guidelines

Short guide to the European Prison Rules

This guide provides an overall framework which can be followed to ensure that daily prison processes and activities by prison staff and other professionals working in prisons are conducted in compliance with the European Prison Rules, developed by the Council of Europe, as revised in 2020.

Languages: English