WHAT DO MONITORING BODIES NEED TO ENGAGE IN CULTURE CHANGE? What do monitoring bodies need to engage in culture change? To work on culture change, monitoring bodies need the expertise and skills of perception to be able to understand the culture in places of detention through their visits. This means ensuring diverse know-how relevant to the institutions they visit. Monitors with firsthand experience in these places, such as former staff or detainees, may be able to draw on this experience to grasp the culture in similar institutions. To influence culture change, monitors must be seen as credible in the eyes of the authorities and broader society, in terms of their expertise and professionalism. Because culture change takes time, monitoring bodies need to adopt a long-term perspective and demonstrate perseverance in their work. Penal Reform International | Institutional culture in detention: a framework for preventive monitoring | 19