OBJECTIVE The objective of this section is to emphasize that, despite being deprived of liberty, prisoners retain a right to have contact with their family and friends and the outside world. The principles described in this section should be cross-referenced with those in chapter 4 of the Manual which refer to the right of family, legal representatives and consular officials to be informed of a prisoner’s admission to custody or subsequent transfer. ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence. All prisoners shall have the right to communicate with the outside world, especially with their families. Foreign prisoners shall be allowed to communicate with their diplomatic representatives. A prisoner’s request to be held in a prison near his or her home shall be granted as far as possible. Prisoners shall be kept informed of important items of news. 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 to discover the basis for each of these principles. The link with chapter 4 of the Manual should be further highlighted. IMPLICATIONS The points to be emphasized are: 39. – Family ties should not be the casualty of any sentence of detention; 39. – The resettlement difficulties of prisoners released into the community are significantly reduced if the network of family and friends remains intact; 39. – Prison authorities reduce the difficulties they face if they can keep prisoners close to their homes. 113