Approach to Corrections in Asia and the Pacific With Reference to the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (From Report for 1982 and Resource Material Series, N 23, P 57-69, 1983, UNAFEI)

• NCJ Number: 102679
• Author(s): T G P Garner
• Date Published: 1983
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Guideline
• Language: English
• Country: Japan

Annotation

This paper explains corrections philosophy in Asian and Pacific countries, reviews the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and recommends amendments to these rules based on circumstances in the Asian and Pacific countries.

Abstract

The correctional philosophy of Asian and Pacific countries focuses on deterrence, discipline, incapacitation, and behavior modification under humane conditions. Prison programs are structured to deter recidivism upon release. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, adopted in 1955, present difficulties for many Asian and Pacific countries laboring under budget constraints that impact prison construction and the quality of correctional staff. This paper explains the United Nations rules and recommends changes in the areas of prison accommodation, clothing and bedding, medical services, inmate processing and classification, inmate work and vocational training, staff recruitment and training, and public relations. Recommended rules modifications include provision for two-person celling and the use of bedding mats on raised platforms that accommodate more than one person, 'softening' of the requirement for a prison medical officer with psychiatric training, refinement of inmate classification, and the addition of a sentence that requires the acquisition of work skills.