PRI's monthly update of criminal justice news

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Penal Reform International

March 2019 Update

Spotlight:

PRI's office in MENA hosts conference on National Strategies for Juvenile and Child Protection

Last week, PRI’s office in the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) hosted the Jordanian Conference on National Strategies for Juvenile and Child Protection in Amman, Jordan. The two-day conference took place from 19-20 March 2019, under the patronage of H.E Prime Minister Dr Omar Al-Razzaz. The conference, hosted in collaboration with the Public Security Directorate – Juvenile Police Department and the National Council for Family Affairs, brought together experts and key stakeholders to investigate and strategize on various areas of Juvenile and Child Protection. The aim of the conference was to transform these strategies and to determine their effectiveness in responding to the needs of children and to provide a framework for the national protection of young people. The conference featured discussions on the role of the justice sector in implementing strategies and providing preventive measures for the protection of children.

View more (Arabic only)

News: PRI opens new office in Kyrgyzstan

We are pleased to announce that this month, PRI opened a new office in Kyrgyzstan to further develop and expand our work to more countries in Central Asia. The opening of PRI’s office in Kyrgyzstan comes at a time of judicial reform and new legislation in Kyrgyzstan. PRI will continue the development of prison system reform, enhancement of Rule of Law, development of alternatives to imprisonment and improvement of probation services in Kyrgyzstan.

External report: Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) in prison

Last week, the Ministry of Justice published a summary of research carried out in the summer of 2015 into the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) process designed to reduce the risk of suicide and self-harm in prisons. Key findings from the report showed that prisoners felt supported when on an ACCT, but a few felt that the purpose of ACCT and what being on an ACCT involved had not been sufficiently explained to them.

Read it here

External resource: European Survey on Prison Oversight Bodies

The European Survey on Prison Oversight Bodies (ESPO) is the first cross-national survey on prison oversight bodies. Its main objective is to gather information on the structures for dealing with the inspection of prisons across the European Union. The survey is directed by Dr Mary Rogan and Dr Eva Aizpurua, at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, as part of the ‘Prisons: the rule of law, accountability and rights’ Project, funded by the European Research Council.

Imprisonment often impacts the psychological and emotional state of a person. Under such circumstances, it is immensely difficult to be hopeful for the future or to have motivation to continue one’s life as this requires enormous effort as well as support of the family and the society. Given these factors, what is necessary for the re-socialisation and reintegration of the prisoner into society? In a new blog, Ana Kanjaradze, Nino Lortkipanidze and Tamar Abuladze seek to answer these questions.

Read it here (Georgian only)

External report: Women serving Indeterminate Imprisonmnet for Public Protection

Indeterminate Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) is one of the most controversial sentences in British sentencing. Female IPP prisoners represent an often forgotten and overlooked minority, stuck in the creaking penal system. This research paper by Sarah Smart of The Griffins Society provides the first empirical exploration of female prisoners on IPP still in prison, despite the abolition of the sentence in 2012.

Read it here

News: PRI supports efforts to combat torture and ill-treatment of prisoners in Uganda

Last month, Penal Reform International (PRI) signed a Partnership Agreement with the Democratic Governance Facility for a programme in Uganda to support efforts to combat torture and ill-treatment of suspects and prisoners in Uganda. As part of the project, PRI will work with state and non-state actors to address torture in Uganda and support advocacy efforts for the implementation of the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act (PPTA) and raise awareness of the human rights situation.

Click here to read past newsletters or sign-up to our Bangkok Rules newsletter on women in the criminal justice system.

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