Integrating the Issue of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Detention Monitoring
pens, authorities must ensure that there are additional safeguards in place, including
the careful selection of those involved and adequate supervisory arrangements. Women are particularly at risk of SGBV when male staff are involved in their supervision,
especially if this involves direct contact. The supervision of transgender and intersex
detainees/prisoners also requires particular attention.
Preparatory research and reviewing existing documentation
When looking into detainee/prisoner allocation and staff supervision in relation to
SGBV, monitors should consider:
• Are men and women, adults and juveniles detained in separate institutions? If in
mixed facilities, are they kept in entirely separate facilities?
• Are there special measures in place regarding the allocation of those convicted of
rape and sexual assault, or those with a known history of abusive behaviour?
• Are men and women, adults and juveniles allowed to interact with each other at
any time? If so, are there any additional safeguards in place?
• Are there any specific procedures in place regarding the supervision of female
detainees/prisoners, including juvenile girls?
• Are men ever involved in the supervision of female detainees/prisoners? If so,
have they been properly vetted and have they received any particular training?
Are there any additional safeguards in place, including the requirement that a female staff member also be present?
• Are male staff allowed to enter women’s places of deprivation of liberty without
being accompanied by a female staff member?
• Are there special measures in place regarding the allocation of those deemed to
be at risk of SGBV, including those with a known history of abuse, sex offenders
and individuals accused or convicted of particularly serious crimes?
•
Do authorities make every effort to ensure that two detainees/prisoners do not
share a room alone? Where dormitories are used, are detainees/prisoners carefully selected as being suitable to associate with one another in those conditions?
Monitoring allocation and supervision procedures
Direct observation
During visits to places of deprivation of liberty, monitors might be able to directly
observe the extent to which allocation and supervision procedures are enforced in
practice. They should, therefore, pay attention to interactions between male and female, adult and juvenile detainees/prisoners, and the areas of the facility where male
staff are seen to be working. In addition, they might consider the following questions:
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