1. PRISON MANAGEMENT The focus of work and training programmes is more likely to be relevant for rehabilitative purposes if prisoners are located close to the place they will live after their release. For example, rural–based skills programmes may have no long-term benefit for those who will return to city life and vice-versa. Programmes led by external organizations may also eventually lead to work opportunities after release if the prisoner lives in the area where the training was provided. 90 On a practical level, allocation of prisoners to facilities close to home makes it easier for prison administrations to prepare prisoners for release, particularly those who have no money or access to transport to enable them to return home. Prisoners are often extremely disorientated upon their release and it can be particularly hard for them if they do not know the local region where they are released or have no family or friends nearby to assist them. 1 89 26 Support services 91 In heterogeneous societies, allocating an individual in a prison close to her or his home or family will also reduce the potential of cultural, religious and linguistic differences among prisoners and staff. This can lessen the isolation felt by a prisoner, but can also reduce prison costs and assist in the smooth running of the facility itself. At the same time, prisons further afield should be considered in instances where placing a prisoner in an institution close to her or his home could increase the risk if violence or stigmatization. 92 Prisoners who receive support from local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community organizations or individuals may benefit from continued post-release support and services if they live in the same region as the prison. Similarly, if they are from the local area, they or their families and friends may be aware of local agencies and services that can assist them in their social rehabilitation. 93 In some situations, doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists who have been working with an individual before her or his arrest may be able to provide continued treatment and medication in prison. Similarly, once a prisoner is released, he or she may require immediate or long-term physical or mental health-care that will be much easier to access if the individual or her or his family already know specialists working in the local area. Immediacy and continuity of post-arrest and post-release medical care, including psychological or psychiatric care, is particularly important when individuals require specific forms of medication, especially if they are not easily available. 94 Allocation close to home can also be useful when it comes to accessing legal services, because families and friends can often assist in facilitating access to a lawyer. Family and friends are also more likely to attend court hearings and keep up-to-date with legal developments if the proceedings are taking place in a court near to them. PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE Decisions based on individual needs and preferences 95 Successful rehabilitation and reintegration of individual prisoners should be considered from the beginning of a person’s imprisonment and should, therefore, play a key role in determining their allocation, along with security and other practical considerations. Unfortunately, in some countries, allocation is determined by levels of overcrowding in prisons rather than individual needs and security assessments. Allocation of prisoners far from their home and family support networks must never be employed as a form of punishment. 96 Security classifications and personal circumstances may change during the course of imprisonment meaning that reallocation may be beneficial. Allocation decisions should be based on ongoing individual assessments and consultations with relevant stakeholders, including the prisoners themselves. For example, a prisoner may serve a part of her or his sentence in the facility best suited to their rehabilitation needs, but could be transferred to a prison closer to her or his family as the end of the prisoner’s sentence nears, to assist with their reintegration. Guidance document on the Nelson Mandela Rules