Prison Reforms- UNODC perspective

Dr. Jayadev Sarangi, Prison Expert

UNODC ROSA

APCCA,2008

Langkawi, Malaysia,

24th November 2008

UNODC MENU OF SERVICES:RULE OF LAW

JUSTICE• United Nations standards and norms

in crime prevention and criminal justice

• Law enforcement effectiveness accountability and oversight

• Crime prevention• Judicial reform• Juvenile justice• Prison reform• Legal aid• Alternatives to imprisonment • Restorative justice• Violence against women• Support to victims of crime • Vulnerable groups within the criminal

justice system • Extradition and mutual legal

assistance• Witness protection

UNODC MENU OF SERVICES:HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT

• DRUG PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION Drug abuse prevention Drug dependence treatment and

rehabilitation• HIV/AIDS PREVENTION AND CARE

HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment amongst injecting drug users

HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in prisons

HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment among people vulnerable to human trafficking

• ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT Alternatives to illicit crop

cultivation Sustainable livelihoods

Realities on the ground

1. Over-crowding2. Majority are remand prisoners 3. High prisoner turnover4. Low civil society participation in prison reforms5. ‘We’ and ‘Them’ Divide6. Protection mechanisms for the weak and vulnerable

inadequate7. Constraints - human and financial resources8. Low awareness - drugs and HIV

Denial – “no sex, no drug, no violence” Sexual risk behaviour – MSM, coercion Large number of married inmates

9. Post release follow up of prisoners is very negligible

Major Achievements

Rolling out interventions in 27 prison sites (e.g., Bangladesh ,Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka)

A critical mass (418 Master Trainers) of human resources trained (including prison officials, health workers and civil society partners)

Reached out to approx. 27000 persons in the prison community including prison inmates and field level prison staff in the region

UNODC Tools

Thank you

Please visit us atwww.unodc.org/india

Tel: 011-42225000

Application of Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners- A Human Rights perspective

Capacity of Member States to apply international standards on the professional management/operation of prisons

Advocate for and create awareness to ensure that adjustment of laws and policies should be in conformity with international standards and norms on diversions, restorative justice and non-custodial sanctions

Increased application by Member States of strategies to improve overall healthcare of prisoners including the reduction of the spread of drugs/HIV in Prisons of South Asia

Sensitization and capacity building of law enforcement officials

Prison Reforms Initiative – ROSA thrust areas

Prevention of drugs and HIV in prisons of South Asia (Project RAS/H71)

Prison Intervention sites

Country No. of sites

Bangladesh

Bhutan2

1

India 4

Maldives 1

Nepal 5

Sri Lanka 14

Total 27

Source: International Centre for Prison Studies, London, 2008

Countries Remand prisoners and/or pre-trial detainees as % of all prisoners

Bhutan NA

India 65.7

Bangladesh 69

Sri Lanka 49.4

Nepal 51

Maldives NA

Source: International Centre for Prison Studies, London, 2008

Countries Capacity Actual population

Occupancy level %

India 263,911 373,271 141.4

Bhutan NA NA NA

Bangladesh

27,451 83,000 302.4

Sri Lanka 10,692 25,537 193.2

Nepal 5,000 6,700 142.6

Maldives 763 1125 147.4