Resources listing

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Submission

Submission to the UN Committee against Torture, November 2013: Application of the death penalty and alternative sanctions by the Republic of Belarus

This submission to the 51st session of the UN Committee against Torture focuses on the use of the death penalty and life imprisonment in Belarus, on prison monitoring, and on due process related (primarily) to death penalty-applicable cases. It highlights ongoing concerns over the continued use and execution of the death penalty in Belarus; the extremely […]

Languages: English

Report

Impact evaluation: Reforming the juvenile justice system in Jordan (2011-2013)

International standards and good practice insist upon separate criminal justice systems for children under the age of 18. Jordan’s current juvenile justice legislation contains a number of gaps, including no provision or legal basis for specialised juvenile police, alternatives to detention, or independent monitoring mechanism to inspect children’s detention facilities. A new juvenile justice law […]

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: Pre-trial detention

Pre-trial detention is a high risk situation for torture and ill-treatment. Pre-trial detention increases the risk of a confession being coerced by torture and confession and exposes detainees – still innocent until proven guilty – to violence and abuse from guards or other prisoners. High rates of pre-trial detention contribute to overcrowding, which in turn […]

Languages: English, French, Georgian, 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

Training

Protecting children’s rights in criminal justice systems: a training manual and reference point for professionals and policymakers

Children in conflict or contact with criminal justice or welfare agencies either as children in need of protection, children at risk, on arrest, during trial, in detention or as victims and witnesses, are often in a vulnerable position, unaware of their rights or unable to enforce them. How these children are treated by the system […]

Languages: Arabic, English, Russian

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

Report

LGBTI persons deprived of their liberty: a framework for preventive monitoring

LGBTI persons in detention – or persons perceived as belonging to this group – are in a situation of particular vulnerability, at risk of human rights violations and abuses – including by fellow detainees – throughout the entire criminal justice system. The aim of LGBTI persons deprived of their liberty: a framework for preventive monitoring is […]

Languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish