CONTENTS Contents Introduction 2 Purpose of this guide 3 Part 1: Background and context The importance of rehabilitation and social reintegration 6 Barriers to successful rehabilitation 8 Pre-trial detention 10 Characteristics of women prisoners Pathways to prison Limited opportunities Sentence length Post-release barriers 11 11 14 16 17 Part 2: Guidance Baseline for successful rehabilitation 20 Engagement and support 20 Management style and staffing 21 Therapeutic and holistic approaches 24 Individual assessments, classification and allocation 25 Contact with the outside world 26 Healthcare 28 Education, vocational training and work 29 Education 29 Vocational training 32 Work 33 Preparation for release and post-release support 36 Rehabilitation programmes for specific groups Girls Pregnancy and women with children in prison Foreign national prisoners Ethnic and racial minorities and Indigenous prisoners Prisoners with mental healthcare needs Prisoners with physical disabilities Lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex prisoners Older prisoners 41 41 42 43 44 45 46 46 47 10 key principles for gender-sensitive rehabilitation programmes 48 Endnotes 50 Penal Reform International and Thailand Institute of Justice | Guide to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of women prisoners | 01