Global Prison Trends 2018 4th Edition

Statistics

By Penal Reform International, on 6 June 2018

Foreword by Rt Hon Helen Clark

By her discourse, Hon Helen Clark emphasizes the work of PRI and the work that remains to be done to achieve its goals by implementing new rules of law in carceral system. Due to her action as a Member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy she highlights the chapter made by PRI on drug offences.

Moreover, she points out unanswered questions and issues:

“Why our societies focus their response to unlawful behaviours so often on prison? Where is the proportionality in sentencing when we punish non-violent offences with lengthy prison sentences? Is this the only response we can offer?”
This issue could be the guideline of this report among others.

What Global Prison Trends 2018 explores

•    Trends in the use of imprisonment, including the use of pre-trial detention as an automatic response to suspects; the ongoing challenge of prison overcrowding; and the steady growth in the number of life-sentenced prisoners around the world.
•    Prison populations, such as the specific needs of women, children and LGBTI prisoners.
•    Developments and challenges in prison management, including record levels of prisoner violence in a number of prison systems; healthcare challenges and shortages of qualified healthcare staff; and the need to address violent extremism and prevent radicalisation in the prison system.
•    The role of technology in criminal justice and prison systems, such as the use of ‘telemedicine’ to provide mental healthcare and treatment, and the rise in access to online education and training.
•    The expansion of prison alternatives, including community service orders and electronic monitoring, and a growing trend in the use of restorative justice.

The rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders in the era of sustainable development

A Special Focus section looks at the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders in the era of sustainable development, exploring how the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders back into their communities can incorporate a broader developmental perspective, contributing to the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.