REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES FOR SPECIFIC GROUPS In prison, pregnant women and women with children living with them are often excluded from rehabilitation programmes. Sometimes authorities assume they would not want to participate in education and vocational training, and often there are no alternative childcare arrangements available that would allow them to do so. Rule 42 (2) of the Bangkok Rules specifies that the regime of prisons should be ‘flexible enough to respond to the needs of pregnant women, nursing mothers and women with children. Childcare facilities or arrangements shall be provided in prisons in order to enable women prisoners to participate in prison activities.’ Rule 42 (3) further notes that ‘[p]articular efforts shall be made to provide appropriate programmes for pregnant women, nursing mothers and women with children in prison’. Holistic rehabilitation programmes are particularly important for pregnant women and women with children in prison. Many will leave prison with little or no family support and their childcare responsibilities may make it difficult for them to undertake additional training or find employment and suitable housing. Women leaving prison with their children are also likely to need help dealing with the physical and psychological impact of prison on their children, and in supporting them in adapting to life in the community. PROMISING PRACTICE: Prenatal yoga in prison in the US The Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW), in collaboration with the organisations Yoga Behind Bars103 and Birth Beyond Bars,104 co-organised a three-day programme in the US on trauma-informed pre-natal yoga for pregnant and post-partum prisoners. This programme provided a safe space for them to share their feelings of isolation, distress and depression and to create a ‘community of caring’.105 The trained facilitators used this platform to validate and honour people’s experiences. Those involved in the programme shared information about pregnancy, birth and post-partum needs and learned from each other. It helped them realise that even though they were in prison, they still had choices. I am not alone. What I am experiencing is a normal part of being a new parent. Participant in the Yoga Behind Bars programme (see Promising Practice above) Foreign national prisoners The term foreign national prisoners refers to prisoners who do not carry the passport of the country in which they are imprisoned. They may have lived in the country for a long time or may have been arrested soon after arrival.106 As a minority group, foreign national prisoners face particular challenges when it comes to rehabilitation. Language is one of the most obvious barriers, not only in terms of the provision of education and training but also because without a common language, staff will not be able to recognise individual needs and problems. It can also be very difficult for prison administrations to establish the personal and educational background of foreign prisoners and to understand their likely situation on release, with many facing deportation from the country of detention. As a result, foreign national prisoners are often excluded from regular rehabilitation programmes and prisons are unable to provide for their needs, including practical assistance to prepare for release. Depending on their country of detention, some may receive support from their embassies or consular officials, but many will not have access to this type of support. Penal Reform International and Thailand Institute of Justice | Guide to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of women prisoners | 43