Projects and publications

Donate to WPB

ICPR undertakes wide-ranging research on prisons and the use of imprisonment, and conducts international, comparative research through its World Prison Research Programme, which aims to inform and promote debate and policy reform in collaboration with a wide network of stakeholders and research partners. 

Current work includes:

Unlocking Potential: towards effective, sustainable, and ethical provision of work opportunities for prisoners and prison leavers

The criminalization of poverty and status: its implications for prison systems and penal reform in Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia and the Pacific

World Prison Population Lists 

A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management: Handbook for Prison Staff 

Recently completed projects include:

Ten-country prisons project  

Publications

Jarman, Ben and Heard, Catherine (2023) Labouring behind bars: Assessing international law on working prisoners. London: ICPR

Jarman, Ben and Heard, Catherine (2023) Labouring behind bars: Assessing international law on working prisoners. Appendix. London: ICPR

Fair, Helen and Walmsley, Roy (2022) World Female Imprisonment List (5th edition). London: ICPR

Fair, Helen and Walmsley, Roy. (2021) World Prison Population List (13th edition). London, ICPR

Heard, Catherine. (2021) Locked in and locked down – prison life in a pandemic: Evidence from ten countries London: ICPR

Fair, Helen and Jacobson, Jessica (2021) Keeping COVID out of prisons: Approaches in ten countries London: ICPR

Heard, Catherine and Jacobson, Jessica (2021) Sentencing Burglary, Drug Importation and Murder: Evidence from Ten Countries. Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research, London

Heard, Catherine (2020) 'Commentary: Assessing the Global Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Prison Populations.Victims and Offenders, Volume 15, Issue 6. 

Walmsley, Roy (2020) World Pre-trial/Remand Imprisonment List (4th edition) Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research, London

Heard, Catherine and Fair, Helen (2019) Pre-trial detention and its over-use: Evidence from ten countries. Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research, London.

Heard, Catherine (2019) Towards a health-informed approach to penal reform? Evidence from ten countriesInstitute for Criminal Policy Research, London

Walmsley, Roy (2018) World Prison Population List (12th edition). Institute for Criminal Policy Research, London

Coyle, Andrew and Fair, Helen (2018) A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management: Handbook for Prison Staff (3rd edition). London, UK: Institute for Criminal Policy Research Birkbeck, University of London

Walmsley, Roy (2017) World Female Imprisonment List (4th edition). Institute for Criminal Policy Research, London

Walmsley, Roy (2017) World Pre-trial/Remand Imprisonment List (3rd edition). Institute for Criminal Policy Research, London

Jacobson, JessicaHeard, Catherine and Fair, Helen (2017) Prison: evidence of its use and over-use from around the world. Project Report. Institute for Criminal Policy Research & Fair Trials, London