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well as cultural sensitivity, interaction skills and linguistic abilities.78
Special selection processes should additionally be established for
staff working with specific groups of prisoners such as juveniles.79
Staff should include as much as possible specialist personnel that is
trained to promote prisoners’ physical and mental wellbeing, including
psychiatrists, psychologists, social and welfare workers, teachers and
vocational, physical education and sports instructors.80
Training for staff before entering into duty as well as throughout their
career should be provided.81 It should cover the prohibition of torture and
ill-treatment as well as prevention and evidence-based instruction on legal
standards, security and safety (incl. dynamic security, conflict resolution
and alternatives to use of force and restraints), basic medical skills as well
as general principles of social care, criminology, psychology and mental
health and professional ethics.82 More focused training should be offered
for staff working with specific categories of prisoners such as juveniles or
women and specialised staff such as health care professionals.83
How the staff perceives the leadership qualities of the prison management
and how satisfied they are with their jobs, plays a crucial role for prison
culture and the level of violence in the prison, including staff-prisoner
violence.84
To ensure appropriate working conditions, staff should be
appointed on a permanent basis and have public service status with security
of employment,
adequate salary and benefits that reflect their work
responsibilities.85 The number of staff in prison should be appropriate.86
78. EPR Rule 77; Mandela Rules, Rule 74; see also CM/Rec(2012)12 § 38; CoE, ‘Guidelines Regarding
Recruitment, Selection, Education, Training and Professional Development of Prison and Probation
Staff’ (2019) § 4 [hereinafter: CoE, Guidelines Regarding Staff].
79. CoE, Guidelines Regarding Staff (2019) § 4(c).
80.EPR Rule 89; Mandela Rules, Rule 78.
81. EPR Rule 71; Mandela Rules, Rule 75(2); CoE, Guidelines Regarding Staff, § 2.
82. Art 10 CAT; EPR Rules 81.4 and 69.3; Mandela Rules, Rule 76(1); see also CoE, ‘Guidelines Regarding
Staff’ §§ 7.2-7.3; CPT, ‘Juveniles Deprived of Their Liberty Under Criminal Legislation: Extract from
the 24th General Report of the CPT’, Published in 2015 (2015) CPT/Inf(2015)1-part rev1, § 120; on staff
training see also: Sharon Shalev, Kimmet Edgar, Deep Custody: Segregation Units and Close Supervision
Centres in England and Wales (Prison Reform Trust 2010) 7-12.
83. EPR Rule 81.3; Mandela Rules Rule 76(1)(d) and 76(2); see also CPT, ‘Women in Prison’ (2018)
CPT/Inf(2018)5, § 7; CPT/Inf(2015)1-part rev1, paras 100 and 120; CPT/Inf(2013)29-part, § 82; CoE,
‘Guidelines Regarding Staff’, paras 7.2-7.3.
84. Michael J. Gilbert, ‘The Illusion of Structure: A Critique of the Classical Model of Organisation and the
Discretionary Power of Correctional Officers’ (1997) 22(1) Criminal Justice Review, 49-64.
85. EPR Rules 78-79; Mandela Rules, Rule 74(3).
86. EPR Rule 83; Mandela Rules, Rule 81.
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