Handbook for prison managers and policymakers on women and imprisonment
Acknowledgements The handbook was prepared for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) by Tomris Atabay, consultant on criminal justice issues, based in Turkey. UNODC wishes to acknowledge with appreciation the significant role played by the Quaker UN Office (Geneva) throughout the development of the handbook. UNODC also wishes to acknowledge the valuable contributions received from the following experts who kindly agreed to review the handbook and provide comments and feedback: UNODC also wishes to acknowledge the support provided by the Governments of Canada, Sweden, New Zealand and Norway toward the development of the handbook. v Contents Introduction 1 1. The special needs of female prisoners 7 1. Challenges in accessing justice 7 2. History of victimization and mental healthcare needs 8 3. Gender-specific healthcare needs 10 4. Safety in prisons 14 5. Accommodation and family contact 15 6. Pregnancy and women with children 17 7. Post-release reintegration 22 2. Management of women's prisons 25 1. Gender-sensitive prison management 25 2. Staff 28 3. Assessment and classification 30 4. Safety and security 33 5. Prisoner activities and programmes 42 6. Healthcare 48 7. Access to legal assistance 58 8. Contact with the outside world 60 9. Preparation for release and post-release support 63 10. Pregnant women and women with children in prison 66 11. Special categories 72 3. Reducing the female prison population by reforming legislation and practice: suggested measures 81 1. Legal assistance on arrest 83 2. Diversion from prosecution 84 3. Pre-trial detention 85 4. Sentencing 88 5. Discriminatory legislation and trial procedures 95 6. Foreign national women 99 Management of women's prisons: key recommendations 103 Reducing the female prison population: key recommendations 111 References 115 1 Introduction Whom the handbook is for The present handbook forms part of a series of tools developed by The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to support countries in implementing the rule of law and the development of criminal justice reform. It is designed to be used by all actors involved in the criminal justice system, including policymakers, legislators, prison managers, prison staff, members of non-governmental organizations and other individuals interested or active in the field of criminal justice and prison reform. It can be used in a variety of contexts, both as a reference document and as a training tool. The main focus of the handbook is female prisoners 1 and guidance on the components of a …
Women's health in prisons: it is time to correct gender insensitivity and social injustice.
Women form a minority group within the prisons of Europe. Prisons have been built and they are run with the needs of the majority of prisoners in mind, namely men. Evidence collected throughout Europe about women's health in prisons showed that the services provided in some countries failed to meet even basic needs of women and provided examples of considerable gender insentivity and failures to observe their human rights. Along with UNODC, a joint report was issued called the WHO/UNODC Declaration which presented the evidence and made recommendations for urgently required improvements.
Test security in medicolegal cases: proposed guidelines for attorneys utilizing neuropsychology practice.
In the context of forensic neuropsychological assessments, the professional interaction of law and psychology is viewed primarily as one where the retaining attorney or court dictates its needs to psychologists when resolving legal disputes. While this perspective is conceptually accurate, the positive and practical collaboration of law and psychology also relies on attorneys adhering to basic protections of sensitive psychological assessment procedures and tests. Objective testing is undermined when a practitioner of law engages in actions prior to, during, or following a neuropsychological examination in a manner that threatens the test security. An appreciation among practitioners of law and psychology regarding the necessity of test security is essential. This article reviews attorney actions that can affect test security, proposes a distinction by psychology between appropriate and problematic client preparation for a neuropsychological examination, integrates the available legal precedent regarding test security, and suggests productive measures to protect test security in medicolegal settings.