News and events
ICPS publishes updated Guidance Note on prison overcrowding
ICPS published the first edition of Guidance Notes on Prison Reform in 2004. These Guidance Notes identify 15 sets of problems which are commonly found in the prison setting. The Notes set out what is known about a topic and how it might best be dealt with. They make use of a wide variety of sources, including the work of intergovernmental human rights bodies, many governments, individuals and non-governmental organisations which have carried out prison reform projects, evaluations carried out by universities and other bodies, and the work of ICPS itself. Wherever possible, the Notes include examples, not only of the problems which can be encountered, but also of good practice from which others can learn.
These Notes have been published in several languages and are also available for download from the ICPS website. They are now used in a wide variety of settings and are frequently referenced in other publications.
ICPS has now decided to update the Guidance Notes to take account of some recent developments and trends, to incorporate new data and to provide new information where it is available. It also intends to publish additional Guidance Notes on topical issues.
One of the most pressing problems in many prison systems remains that of overcrowding. For this reason, Guidance Note 4 which deals with this issue is the first to be updated.
The new version is now available on the ICPS website and can be downloaded here.
