Prisons are the least visible and often the most poorly resourced of all public institutions. They should be safe places in which prisoners can be held securely. Treatment should be just and humane and education and rehabilitation should be available and effective. Yet many prisons are overcrowded, often with accused persons awaiting trial. Basic conditions do not meet internationally agreed standards. Prison staff are often inadequately resourced and supported to do the difficult jobs expected of them. These failings lead to human rights abuses, an inability to address reoffending and an encouragement to radicalization.
This one week workshop enables you to review different approaches to managing and reforming custodial services through a combination of presentations, discussions and visits. You will learn about new strategies for offender management and see at first hand how these ideas have been put into practice in England and Wales. The emphasis throughout the course will be on pragmatic strategies for reform based on ‘what works’. You will be encouraged to review key business processes, to select strategic performance indicators and to critically examine current approaches in order to identify those suitable for adapting to your own prison system.