Penal Reform International Annual Report 2016

5th July 2017

Penal Reform International (PRI) have launched their Annual Report for 2016. This Annual Report reflects the progress have made in the past year with reference to their Strategic Plan 2015-2020:

Outcome 1:

A criminal justice system that respects the rule of law, upholds the rights of suspects and defendants and prevents the unnecessary use of pre trial detention.

Outcome 2:

Fair and proportionate sentencing that takes account of the circumstances of both the offence and the offender.

Outcome 3:

Humane treatment and conditions for prisoners and prevention of torture in all places of detention.

Outcome 4:

Safer communities through rehabilitation, reintegration interventions and interventions to reduce re offending.

Activities include:

• The training of over 300 staff in places of detention in Central Asia on international standards, laws and good practice. This forms part of a three-year programme to end violence against children in Central Asia;
• A pilot project, with partner Kenya Probation Service, was implemented to develop a gender-sensitive approach to the delivery of community sanctions in Kenya;
• A two‑year pilot project to test ways of increasing the effectiveness of Community Service Orders (CSOs) in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as an alternative to custody;
• The Middle East and North Africa office presented PRI’s report, ‘Sharia Law and the Death Penalty’, at a World Congress side event, attended by over 150 people. The aim was to demonstrate that there can be an interpretation of Islamic Law where the death penalty is not mandatory in all Circumstances;
• One of the PRI’s main priorities throughout the year was to promote the revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), and support their implementation in practice;
• Prison Rules in Morocco were redrafted to reflect the Nelson Mandela Rules.

See the PRI Annual Report here

See the Project with Kenya Probation Service here