1. PRISON MANAGEMENT Rule 93: 1. The purposes of classification shall be: (a) To separate from others those prisoners who, by 2. So far as possible, separate prisons or separate reason of their criminal records or characters, are likely to exercise a bad influence; Rule 94: As soon as possible after admission and after a study of the personality of each prisoner with a sentence of suitable length, a programme of treatment shall be prepared for him or her in the light of the knowledge obtained about his or her individual needs, capacities and dispositions. (b) To divide the prisoners into classes in order to facilitate their treatment with a view to their social rehabilitation. sections of a prison shall be used for the treatment of different classes of prisoners. 1 WHY IT IS IMPORTANT Safety and security 65 Risk assessments are important for the safety of staff, prisoners and prison visitors. If, following assessment, prisoners are appropriately classified into different security levels (usually as high, medium or low security risks), they can be allocated to an appropriate prison facility. Appropriate classification and allocation is key to preventing prisoner flight or other threats to prison and public security. 66 Effective security classification makes it easier for prison administrations to manage staff responsibilities, organize staffing schedules and manage other resources. It also enables them to better manage daily prison life, including out-of-cell time, recreational and vocational activities. 67 Conversely, if prisoners are not properly classified, they may be placed in prisons that are not equipped to properly address the risks associated with them, or they may be grouped with other prisoners who could exercise a bad influence on them. 68 If prisoners are properly classified, resources can be used efficiently. As the International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS) has pointed out, “security is expensive and the higher the level, the greater the cost. It makes financial sense not to have more prisoners in a higher security category than is necessary.”29 Assigning prisoners an unnecessarily high security level can also compromise rehabilitation prospects as “over-classification” usually has an impact on prisoners’ contact with their families, participation in rehabilitation programmes, the amount of time spent outside of the cell, and so on.30 Meeting the needs of individual prisoners 69 Individual prisoner assessments are important to ensure that prisoners are housed in facilities, or parts of facilities, that are equipped to meet their particular needs, including their social, legal, health-care and rehabilitation needs. Failing to identify or neglecting a prisoner’s specific needs may contribute to the ill‑treatment of prisoners.31 70 Effective risk and needs assessments are crucial in ensuring the personal safety of prisoners and establishing the levels of security required for particular individuals. Prisoners deemed to be at risk of bullying, violence or exploitation should never be held with perpetrators of such acts. Appropriate assessments are also crucial for those identified at risk of suicide or self‑harm. 29. A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management: Handbook for prison staff, International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS), 2009, p. 62. 30. Olivia Rope, Implementing the Mandela Rules with scarce resources: discussions from a gathering of prison authorities from South East Asia, Penal Reform International blog, 17 August 2016 at www.penalreform.org/blog/implementing-mandela-rules-scarce-resources-discussions-gathering-prison. 31. Jim Murdoch and Vaclav Jiricka, Combating Ill‑treatment in Prison, A handbook for prison staff with focus on the prevention of ill‑treatment in prisons, Council of Europe, April 2016, p. 32. Guidance document on the Nelson Mandela Rules 21