Dr. Sharon Shalev writes our latest expert blog on how to adopt a human rights-centred approach to monitoring the use of solitary confinement in prisons. She writes:

"Solitary confinement is one of the oldest and most universally used prison practices. It is also one of the harshest and most damaging prison practices. Yet, despite its potential health and human rights implications, until fairly recently international human rights law mostly remained silent on the subject.  This changed with the adoption of the revised (2015) UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’) which dedicate an entire section to solitary confinement. The Rules offer the most up to date, comprehensive, international expert opinion on the practice, representing the current thinking, knowledge and sensibilities on the subject, while remaining practical and realistic in their understanding of how prisons operate. I have also found, in my own work in England and in New Zealand, that the Mandela Rules provide an excellent framework for inspecting and assessing conditions of confinement in general and solitary confinement units in particular."

Dr. Shalev goes on to outline key issues she looks out for when inspecting solitary confinement units.

Last November, we celebrated our 30th anniversary during which we redefined our values and objectives for the next years to come. For the occasion, we launched a campaign asking for your support to help us reach our ambitions! In the coming decade, we want to play a key role in the renewal of global human rights, reinforcing the foundations of the rule of law and good governance. Our new strategy is a first step in that direction.