Dear colleagues and friends, 

The events of 2020 have shone a light on the already precarious, critical and discriminatory conditions inside places of detention and criminal justice systems.  

When the COVID-19 global pandemic hit, we knew that places of detention could be some of the most vulnerable locations for its spread. Prisons house people in close proximity in cramped and often overcrowded conditions, with poor ventilation, a lack of hygiene facilities and poor healthcare. People in prison already have a poorer level of health than the general population often with underlying and chronic health conditions making them especially susceptible to the impact of the virus. Although prisons are closed spaces, many people come and go every day: staff, visiting family members, lawyers, and those entering to start their sentence or being released or moved to another facility, potentially carrying the virus with them. 

PRI identified these problems early on in the pandemic when we released our first briefing in mid-March, Coronavirus: Healthcare and human rights of people in prison, issuing recommendations and analysis, on the virus and its implications for human rights of people in prison. We soon followed up with a report, Coronavirus: Preventing harm and human rights violations in criminal justice systems, in July which looked closer at the steps taken by prison and probation authorities around the world and issued recommendations for urgent response and longer-term systemic reform. 

As well as these policy recommendations, through our country and regional programmes, PRI has delivered practical support to prisons. In Jordan, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Central African Republic and Uganda we have provided vital personal protective equipment to places of detention, training for prison staff on preventing the spread of the virus, developed public health information leaflets for people in prison, developed communications channels for families of people in detention, and advocated for and supported the release of people in prison to reduce overcrowding and populations.  

The pandemic continues to dominate discourse, priorities and responses to criminal justice reform and will possibly shape approaches for years to come.  

In April we launched the 2020 edition of Global Prison Trends. Our launch webinar included an impressive panel of experts and leaders in the criminal justice field including opening remarks from Ilze Brands Kehris, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. The webinar reached over 472 people from 71 countries, and the report reached many more. 

This month we also marked the 10th anniversary of the Bangkok Rules, including by coordinating a call to action which was supported by over 80 civil society organisations which included calls for bolder action to reduce the growing number of women in prison. Further details can be read about below.  

In September, we relaunched our Europe Programme and 2021 will kick off with a new project promoting alternatives to imprisonment across Europe, with a particular focus on people from vulnerable and minority groups.  

In November, I was appointed as PRI’s Executive Director, and I take on this new role at an important moment with the spotlight increasingly placed on criminal justice systems. I am excited to lead PRI’s exceptional team as we rise to the many challenges – and take on the opportunities – to realise more effective, rights-based justice systems. I hope you can join us in supporting our work by giving a one-off or monthly donation as we end this year and look ahead to 2021. 

Olivia Rope 
Executive Director