1. PRISON MANAGEMENT RELEVANT RULES: STAFF RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING (CONTINUED) Rule 76: (c) Security and safety, including the concept of 1. Training referred to in paragraph 2 of rule 75 shall dynamic security, the use of force and instruments include, at a minimum, training on: (a) Relevant national legislation, regulations and policies, as well as applicable international and regional instruments, the provisions of which must guide the work and interactions of prison staff with inmates; (b) Rights and duties of prison staff in the exercise 1 of their functions, including respecting the human dignity of all prisoners and the prohibition of certain conduct, in particular torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; 42 of restraint, and the management of violent offenders, with due consideration of preventive and defusing techniques, such as negotiation and mediation; (d) First aid, the psychosocial needs of prisoners and the corresponding dynamics in prison settings, as well as social care and assistance, including early detection of mental health issues. 2. Prison staff who are in charge of working with certain categories of prisoners, or who are assigned other specialized functions, shall receive training that has a corresponding focus. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Professional prison management 188 Prison management have a duty to ensure that staff are carefully selected, properly trained and supported. If they fail to recruit and retain staff who can work to professional standards they must themselves be held accountable to the government and the public. 189 The CPT has pointed out that high levels of stress in staff can “exacerbate the tension inherent in any prison environment”. 68 Impact on institutional culture 190 The attitude and behaviour of prison staff shapes the culture within a detention facility and determines a prisoner’s overall experience of detention. Studies have shown that prison officers “who feel valued, trusted and respected at work are more likely to apply these values to the treatment of prisoners”.69 Prison officers who are happy in the job will perform their functions to a higher standard than those who feel undervalued. 191 Training and prison leadership need to prevent prison officers from developing an esprit de corps that emphasizes a repressive approach to prisoners, and solidarity with fellow officers over accountability. There can be significant peer pressure among prison officers about not “siding with” or being “soft” on prisoners.70 Officers who do not conform to this group mentality may suffer intimidation, harassment or be ostracized. “In extreme cases, prison officers can suffer violence from colleagues as part of their training or initiation rites as a way of “socializing” them into a punitive culture”.71 192 The overall ethos of a detention facility can greatly influence the conditions in which prison officers work and the way they are treated. Recruitment and training programmes need, therefore, to reflect on the role of prison staff, the purpose of imprisonment (see Rules 4 and 5), ethical issues and the institutional climate.72 Given the closed nature of prisons and the focus on security and control, they can often become overly hierarchical structures and bullying of staff is common. Detention facilities can also be characterized by fear, distrust and insularity, and this can greatly impact the experiences and motivation levels of staff, while deterring good candidates from applying to join the service. In general, poorly run facilities are unlikely to attract and retain suitably qualified staff, while abusive and corrupt staff can thrive in such conditions with impunity. 68. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), 11th General Report on the CPT’s activities, 3 September 2001, para. 26. 69. Alison Liebling, Prisons and Their Moral Performance, Oxford University Press, 28 July 2005, pp. 375-430; see also: The Mandela Rules, op. cit., note 1, Rule 38 (1), encouraging prison administrations “to use, to the extent possible, conflict prevention, mediation or any other alternative dispute resolution mechanism to prevent disciplinary offences or to resolve conflicts”. 70. Alison Liebling, David Price, & Guy Shefer, The Prison Officer, Willan Publishing, 20 February 2011, p. 163. 71. Staff working conditions: Addressing risk factors to prevent torture and ill-treatment, Penal Reform International/Association for the Prevention of Torture, second edition, 2015. 72. Institutional culture in detention: A framework for preventive monitoring, Penal Reform International/Association for the Prevention of Torture, second edition, 2015. Guidance document on the Nelson Mandela Rules