Introduction The primary purposes of imprisonment are to protect society against crime and to reduce recidivism. International standards make it clear that these can only be achieved if the time in prison is used to ensure the reintegration of prisoners into society upon release, so that they can lead law-abiding and self-supporting lives.1 It is in all our interests that prisoners return to the community with the skills and attitudes that will enable them to stay out of prison in the future. Prisoners are part of society – the vast majority will eventually be released from prison and it is therefore of benefit to the broader community, and in the interest of public safety, that they are able to play a positive role in society. If they leave prison with greater problems, and without the knowledge and skills to cope, there will inevitably be ongoing consequences for them, their families and their communities and further costs for the state. As the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has noted, investments in rehabilitation programmes for prisoners ‘are one of the best and most cost-effective ways of preventing their re-offending, with significant benefits not only for the individuals concerned, but also for public safety more broadly’.2 There are, however, many prisoners who do not take part in or who cannot access rehabilitation programmes and many who do not benefit sufficiently from existing projects. There are multiple reasons why prisons are unable to provide satisfactory rehabilitation programmes to all prisoners. Some prisons do not have the resources to implement appropriate activities. In others, existing schemes are not well tailored to individual needs, or are only available to a few prisoners. Even where good programmes exist, prisoners still face significant barriers during their imprisonment or following their release, which can impact their successful rehabilitation. Female prisoners represent a small but increasing proportion of prisoners worldwide.3 They face specific barriers in accessing programmes and services in prisons and there are often limited rehabilitation opportunities available to them. Programmes that do exist are often heavily gendered and do not cater for their particular backgrounds and rehabilitation needs. Female prisoners also face gender-specific challenges after their release from prison. As the commentary to Rules 57–58 of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) notes, ‘A considerable proportion of women offenders do not necessarily pose a risk to society and their imprisonment may not help, but hinder their social reintegration.’ Whilst this guide does not examine alternatives to imprisonment in detail, it should be noted that for the vast majority of female prisoners, community-based alternatives that provide assistance, support and treatment are the most effective way of helping them build positive lives away from crime in the future. This guide covers the different aspects of rehabilitation and identifies the key elements for successful rehabilitation of female offenders. The primary focus is on specific programmes as well as good practices for addressing the root causes of offending. As the success of rehabilitation programmes can also depend on the provision and quality of pre- and post-release support, attention is also given to these programmes and services. 02 | Penal Reform International and Thailand Institute of Justice | Guide to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of women prisoners