EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND WORK Training women prisoners is part of an integral process; not only are they receiving technical training, but they are also going to be empowered in exercising their rights, and upon release they can do better work and have a higher income, which will give them a higher quality of life. Director of the Bolivian NGO CECOPI, which works with the UNODC on training female prisoners in construction (see Promising Practice on page 32) Work Prison work programmes can provide prisoners with valuable skills, confidence and improved self-esteem, and have been shown to reduce levels of reoffending.85 There are many different models of prison work, including those run by prisons and state enterprises as well as individual or private-sector initiatives. All prison work programmes need to be carefully regulated and monitored to avoid corruption and exploitation of the workers. They should be based on research into actual market needs so that there are clear pathways to sustainable employment after release. The Nelson Mandela Rules state that prison labour must not be afflictive in nature, that prisoners should not be held in slavery or servitude, and that no prisoner should be required to work for the personal or private benefit of any prison staff. The work provided should allow a prisoner to maintain or increase their ability to earn an honest living after release and, within limits, prisoners should also be able to choose the type of work they wish to perform.86 Prison work87 should be a way for prisoners to gain new skills and feel confident in the job market. Work opportunities should be determined on an individualised basis, taking into account the specific or additional obstacles that women in prison might face and the physical and mental fitness of a prisoner.88 There should be ‘a system of equitable remuneration of the work of prisoners’ (Rule 103 (1) of the Nelson Mandela Rules), good occupational health and safety provision for working prisoners, and the organisation and methods of work should resemble as closely as possible those of free workers.89 When private companies are involved in prison work, safeguards must be in place to ensure a free labour relationship.90 As recommended by the International Labour Organization, the conditions of work offered to prisoners should be similar to work outside the prison, with comparable wages to those of free workers in the relevant industry. There should also be the possibility of prisoners continuing the same type of work upon release.91 In practice, prison work programmes are often designed to benefit the prison authorities or to keep prisoners occupied. Women in prison are often employed to carry out tasks that support the running of the prison, such as cooking, cleaning and repairing prison uniforms. Such tasks are not usually part of an organised rehabilitation programme and are often unwaged. Employers can be reluctant to give jobs to former prisoners due to fear and stigma, or the assumption that they do not have the necessary skills. There are, however, many promising examples of programmes that connect prisoners and employers and provide prisoners with skills for specific jobs, as well as enterprises that are set up with the specific aim of employing former female prisoners. Some employers have started actively recruiting in prisons, with job fairs in prisons becoming increasingly common. There are also a growing number of innovative projects designed and led by prisoners, community organisations and local businesses, which support the training of prisoners and the employment of prisoners after release. Prison work programmes that create links with potential employers and community organisations can also be particularly valuable for female prisoners and can provide a route to potential employment after release. There are many good examples of rehabilitation programmes that benefit the broader community as well as the prisoners themselves, helping to break down the stigma of imprisonment and improve community awareness of life in prison. Penal Reform International and Thailand Institute of Justice | Guide to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of women prisoners | 33