1. PRISON MANAGEMENT Composition of prison staff When recruiting staff members, prison authorities should ensure there is an adequate prisoner-staff ratio to ensure the safety of the facility and all those within it at all times. 209 There should also be an active policy-level commitment to hiring diverse staff, including people from minority racial or ethnic groups and, where possible, reflecting the diversity of the prison population itself. 210 Authorities should make particular efforts to recruit female staff, taking into account the requirement of Rule 81(3), which states that female detainees shall be attended and supervised only by female staff members. 211 For health-care staff, who should be independent of prison staff, see see Rule 25 (2). 1 208 Staff terms and conditions 212 UNODC recommends that prison staff compensation “be based on local standards and market factors and be commensurate with the difficulty of the function to be performed, the level of responsibility assigned to the position and the experience and skills of the individuals”. UNODC also notes the importance of systems of advancement to encourage employee development and provide career opportunities in the service.83 213 The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) highlights the need to consider the design of facilities to support personnel in fulfilling their role, including the need for the functional areas used by prison staff to be completely separate from areas used by prisoners. UNOPS also points out that staff facilities must include sufficient changing rooms for both female and male prison staff and that facilities should include sinks, toilets and shower installations.84 Training opportunities and methodology 214 In addition to training prior to entering service, continuous, in-service training is important, not only to maintain and improve the existing knowledge of prison staff, but also to ensure they are made aware of any changes to policy and practice, including new developments in good practice. With this in mind, the training curricula should be regularly updated, including to incorporate the new provisions of the Mandela Rules. It is also important to ensure that new and updated training programmes are available to existing staff as well as those who have been newly recruited into the service. 215 Staff training and promotion opportunities should be made available to all staff members on an equal basis, without discrimination, and in accordance with the requirements of their particular roles and functions. Rule 32 of the Bangkok Rules specifies that female prison staff should receive equal access to training as male staff. The UNODC Handbook for Policy Managers and Policymakers on Women and Imprisonment85 also identifies the need to empower female staff within prison systems and provides further suggestions on the particular training needed by female staff and those working with female prisoners. 216 In order for training to be effective, training providers should themselves be carefully selected. They should know their subject matter well, but must also be familiar with the prison environment and understand the challenges facing prison staff and prisoners. 217 The availability of e-training courses is positive but cannot replace the benefit of face-to-face education. Training programmes could be carried out jointly with specialist community organizations. 83. Handbook for Prison Leaders, UNODC, op. cit., note 73, p. 56. 84. Technical Guidance for Prison Planning, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), 2016, p. 203. 85. Handbook for Prison Managers and Policymakers on Women and Imprisonment, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 2008 at www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/women-and-imprisonment.pdf. Guidance document on the Nelson Mandela Rules 47