NCJ Number
123083
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 51 Issue: 5 Dated: (August 1989) Pages: 148,150-154
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Prisoner transfer treaties, which allow persons imprisoned in foreign countries to return to their own countries to serve their sentences, remove an economic and administrative burden for many countries and facilitate the social reintegration of the offender.
Abstract
Americans arrested abroad (3,041 in 1987) often face extreme problems coping with foreign jail conditions. There is culture shock, isolation, communication problems, restricted contact with friends and family, and inadequate food and medical care. U.S. consular officers provide some assistance in the areas of dietary supplements, emergency medical assistance, and communication with family. Prisoner transfer treaties are the most promising solution for such situations. From 1977 through 1980, the United States had signed five prisoner transfer treaties with countries in the Americas (Mexico, Canada, Bolivia, Panama, and Peru) as well as with Turkey. The United States has also become part of the Council of Europe's Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, which became effective in 1983. This article lists the qualifications for transfer under the treaties. 3 tables.