PRISON MANAGEMENT Rehabilitation and reintegration Globally, there is growing recognition of the importance of rehabilitation and social reintegration programmes in prisons. Investing in rehabilitation is a cost-effective way of preventing reoffending, with significant benefits not only for the individuals concerned but also for public safety. The Doha Declaration, adopted in 2015 at the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, highlights the crucial importance of the rehabilitation of prisoners for achieving sustainable development.343 In 2018 the UNODC developed a useful handbook setting out different practical measures to take for the prevention of recidivism and the social reintegration of offenders.344 The fundamental aim of rehabilitation is to enable prisoners to return to their community with the skills and attitudes that will enable them to stay out of prison in the future. Providing them with education, work and training opportunities can also ‘normalise’ their time in prison, making it closer to life in the community and helping them lead independent lives after release. For instance, in Brazil, there is a group of prisons that work with the Association for Protection and Assistance to Convicts (APAC). These prisons focus explicitly on rehabilitation and have a proven track record in lowering recidivism rates.345 As the main purpose of imprisonment, rehabilitation should include a broad range of programmes – including physical and mental healthcare, substance abuse programmes, physical activities, counselling, psychosocial support, education and vocational training courses, creative and cultural activities, work opportunities and regular access to well-stocked library facilities. Since many prisoners have multiple and overlapping needs, their successful rehabilitation is dependent on all their needs being addressed. In 2018, several countries developed therapeutic and psychosocial support for people in prison. In Uruguay, a bill was submitted that seeks to provide prisoners with psychological, social and educational services for rehabilitation.346 In the US, the Turning Leaf Project in South Carolina, which trains repeat offenders to change their thinking with cognitive behavioural therapy, has had a positive impact on reoffending rates.347 A similar programme has been piloted in Hyderabad, India, providing training on cognitive behavioural psychology for people in prison, who go on to train other prisoners.348 In July 2018, PRI launched a pilot project with the State Penitentiary Service and probation services in Kyrgyzstan to help former prisoners with their psychological rehabilitation.349 Elsewhere, rehabilitation programmes have included a 45-day yoga teacher training programme for prisoners in Haryana State, India.350 Recent research by academics at University West in Sweden found that ‘yoga exercise in particular can be an important tool for improving [prisoners’] reintegration into society and for helping them lead a drug free and law-abiding lifestyle upon release’.351 There is also a growing trend towards the use of animal therapy as a rehabilitative tool, and this has been adopted by a number of countries including Sweden,352 the UK353 and New Zealand.354 The benefits of sport and physical activity as rehabilitative tools are well documented. In 2018, the UK Ministry of Justice issued an Independent Review of Sport in Youth and Adult Prisons and found that ‘participation [in sport] can not only improve health and behaviour but can directly contribute to efforts to reduce reoffending, particularly by providing a route into education and employment’.355 In Italy, a project to bring rugby into the prison system has had positive results: in 2018, the reoffending rate amongst rugby-playing prisoners was 25 per cent, compared to the usual figure of 70 per cent.356 While such initiatives may require some initial investment, they are generally ‘low cost’ and can be replicated in high, medium and low-income countries. Education is a fundamental human right that should be enjoyed by all. In Myanmar, the President issued Penal Reform International and Thailand Institute of Justice | Global Prison Trends 2019 amnesties to prisoners who had passed their matriculation exams with the hope that they would continue their studies on release.357 In Singapore, prisoners were offered the opportunity to study for a diploma for the first time; a business practice course was jointly launched by Ngee Ann Polytechnic and the Singapore Prison Service.358 Vocational training and work programmes allow prisoners to engage in constructive activities while gaining new skills for potential future work. Such programmes improve the ability of prisoners to successfully reintegrate into society and lead crime-free lives. In India, prisoners in the open prison system in Himachal Pradesh work in factories, teach, and run mobile lunch vans.359 In other countries prisoners help with ‘greening projects’ such as cleaning up city parks and gardens.360 One initiative in the US, the Insight Garden Program, helps prisoners to create gardens, which teaches them about nature, community and themselves.361 The Nelson Mandela Rules prohibit servitude, slavery or working for the personal or private benefit of any prison staff.362 Work should improve a prisoner’s job prospects after release or be remunerated, and should take place in safe and legal conditions. The risk of abuse and exploitation is ever present, as evidenced by comments from the President of Tanzania: ‘[m]ake the prisoners work, let them make bricks day and night. If they show laziness, kick them. You have labourers, and for free.’ 363 Harsh prison conditions have been documented in prisons in North Korea, with reports of prisoners performing hard labour;364 one report documented prisoners operating dangerous heavy machinery and using toxic chemicals to produce textiles and leather for military holsters.365 In the US, prisoners went on a 19-day strike to protest against poor working conditions and ‘modern day slavery’ in state and federal jails.366 There are also ongoing concerns about the credibility of some vocational programmes. In the US, the California Department of Corrections has trained people in prison to be firefighters – but they earn just two | 33