New briefing from ICPR on prison work in the UK
The law and practice of prison work provision in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are explained in a new publication from the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research.
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Donate to WPBICPR publishes new report on the collection of global prison data
ICPR’s latest publication Prison data collection: A Guidance Note makes the case for the systematic collection and regular publication of the most important facts and figures about prison populations.
Prison populations continue to rise in many parts of the world, with 11.5 million held in prisons worldwide
Some 11.5 million people are held in penal institutions throughout the world, according to the latest edition of the World Prison Population List (WPPL), researched and compiled by Helen Fair and Roy Walmsley and published on 1 May 2024 by the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), at Birkbeck, University of London.
ICPR publishes Guidance Note on prison data collection in Commonwealth countries
ICPR’s latest publication Prison data collection in Commonwealth countries: A Guidance Note makes the case for the systematic collection and regular publication of the most important facts and figures about prison populations.
Rights and wrongs of prison labour laws explored in new ICPR briefing
ICPR’s new briefing paper, “Labouring Behind Bars”, explores work in prison through the lens of international human rights law. This is the first of a series of publications in the project ‘Unlocking potential: towards effective, sustainable, and ethical provision of work opportunities for prisoners and prison leavers’.
Catherine Heard addresses United Nations high level event on incarceration
I was invited to speak about female imprisonment trends at an event at the UN’s headquarters in Geneva, which took place on 2 October. This was organised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to aid implementation of the UN System’s Common Position on Incarceration (2021). Representatives from around 20 states attended as well as a similar number of civil society participants including our friends Harm Reduction International, Penal Reform International and the International Commission of Jurists.
Lecture and book launch reception, 26 January 2023: Prisons of the World by Professor Andrew Coyle
Prisons of the World author, Andrew Coyle, will present selected extracts from his recent book, along with unpublished personal photographs and reflections from decades of work as a prisons practitioner, researcher and reformer.
World female prison population up by 60% since 2000
Prison population data reveal a much faster growth in female than male prisoner numbers since the year 2000. While the number of women and girls in prison has grown by almost 60%, the male prison population increased by around 22%.
Mandarin version of ICPR's Handbook for Prison Staff now available
ICPR is delighted that the third edition of our key publication A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management: Handbook for Prison Staff has been translated into Mandarin. The Handbook provides a basis for good prison management which can be applied in every prison system in the world.
The Handbook is based on the internationally agreed standards for the use of imprisonment and conditions of detention and it provides clear, practical guidance for prison staff as to their implementation. It demonstrates that as well as providing an appropriate framework for the management of prisons, the international standards can be very effective in operational terms.
ICPR wins public engagement award for its prisons research
Birkbeck’s annual Public Engagement Awards recognise and celebrate researchers who have undertaken innovative and exemplary public engagement activities. ICPR has won this year’s Birkbeck Public Engagement award in the category of ‘public participation in research’. This category recognises projects in which the involvement of the public or various publics is an inherent part of the research process.