C HAPTER 20. R ELIGION OBJECTIVE The objective of this chapter is to underline that prisoners have the right to freedom of religious belief and to observe the requirements of their religion. This chapter should be cross-referenced with chapter 29 of the Manual, dealing with the principle of nondiscrimination. ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES All prisoners have the right to observe the tenets of their religion and to have access to a minister of that religion. Prisoners shall be allowed access to qualified representatives of any religion. These principles should be presented visually and remain on display throughout the session. BASIS IN INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS Exercise: Using the Compilation of Instruments, the trainees should work in pairs in order to discover the basis for each of these principles. The information should be reported back to the group. IMPLICATIONS The point being made is that religion is a personal matter and pursuit of it should be neither restricted nor enforced inside a prison. This is a subject which may arouse strong feeling. It must be stressed that the international instruments apply to all prisons in all countries. They are not intended as a comment on any cultural practices, only on the human rights which apply to all people. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS Situations across different jurisdictions and different cultures will vary considerably, but the requirements of the instruments are the same. These points should be made one at a time, allowing the opportunity for discussion and comment. TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION A list of topics is provided in the Manual. Methodology: The trainees should be divided into small groups for discussion. Each group should be given one topic and time should be allowed for a reporting back session. 105