NCJ Number
94942
Date Published
1984
Length
36 pages
Annotation
When a country adheres to the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (SMR), namely, requirements for living conditions, external contacts with friends and relatives, and preparation for reintegration into society, the problem of foreign prisoners becomes acute, since it may prove more difficult or even impossible to uphold these standards for their care.
Abstract
Discussion of this problem covers the following: the individual psychological problem and the role of the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation (IPPF); the size and nature of the phenomenon; internal prison problems (cultural and communication problems, food and religious problems, contacts with home/isolation, behavioral and relational consequences, and deprivation of prison facilities); expulsion and segregation; imprisonment in the country of origin; and treatment of foreign prisoners. The SMR deal with humane treatment of prisoners in general, but, with the exception of a few articles, fail to specify how they should be applied to foreign prisoners. Special minimum rules for foreign prisoners should be drafted. The Council of Europe committee, whose plans are described, intends to make recommendations on the subjects which have been discussed: information to prisoners, the use of interpreters, assistance by volunteers and probation agencies, more systematic use of the diplomatic corps, the formulation of special minimum rules for foreign prisoners, and possibly even compensation for the disadvantages which they suffer. The committee is also considering recommendations to meet the social, cultural, and educational needs of the prisoners who will be staying in the foreign country.