Human rights central to prison reform

Following the release of the Prison Review report on Monday’ the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has made its initial assessment of the report’s findings.

NIHRC Chief Commissioner, Professor Michael O’Flaherty, stated:

“As the Minister considers the final report from the Prison Review Team, the Commission reminds the Executive of its obligations under international human rights law and of the related recommendations made by the United Nations.

The Commission welcomes the report which highlights the need for large scale reform of the Prison System. It is necessary that such reform places human rights at its core”.

The Commission has commented on a number of recommendations arising from the report:

• The Commission welcomes the recommendation that a new small custodial facility should be built and run around a therapeutic model which reflects the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) concluding observations of July 2008.
• The Commission fully supports the recommendation that under-18s should not be held at Hydebank Wood YOC. This would be in line with the state’s obligations under Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

• In relation to strip searching the Commission supports the Review Team’s recommendation to find an effective and less intrusive method of searching. This would support the Prison Service’s obligation to treat prisoners in their care with humanity and dignity (ICCPR, Article 10).

• The Commission welcomes the recommendation that supervised activity order pilot schemes should be rolled out without further delay followed by appropriate legislative measures. The UN CEDAW committee, in its 2008 Concluding Observations, focused heavily on the need to develop alternative sentencing including community interventions, particularly for women.

• The Commission adds that human rights training for prison personnel must be a critical component of the programme for reform.