UNITED NATION S RULES

FOR THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN PRISONERS

Non- Custodial Measures for Women Offenders

Presented by
CTSUPT DOROTHY C. BERNABE
Acting Director, Directorate for External Relations
Bangkok Rules (BKR)
Awareness of human rights for women in prison

Mandela Rules (MR)

United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners
 The Bangkok Rules

• Gender Sensitive Prison Management

Principle on discrimination, provision of basic needs to accomplish gender equality

Organize and promote comprehensive, result oriented research on the offenses committed by
women

Programmes designed to reduce reoffending, as a basis for effective planning, programme

development and policy formulation to respond to social reintegration of women offenders
 The Bangkok Rules

Admission, Allocation and Classification

Women prisoners shall be , to the extent possible, close to their home or place of
social rehabilitation, with appropriate programmes and services (BKR 4)

Be provided with written information re prison rules and regulations, rights,

obligations, disciplinary sanctions (MR 54)

The information must be written in the language best understood by the prisoners
(MR55)

Newly arrived women prisoners shall be provided with facilities to contact their
relatives, legal counsel, or consular representatives (BKR 2.1)
 The Bangkok Rules
Hygiene and Health Care

Health screening of women prisoners

-presence of sexually transmitted diseases, mental health care needs, reproductive
health, existence of drug dependency, sexual abuse and othe forms of violence (BKR
6)

Provide information of right to seek legal counsel, and access to specialized

psychological support or counseling ( BK 7)

- Gender specific-health care services(BK10, 11, 17,18,8,5)

 The Bangkok Rules
The Safety of Women Prisoners
The safety and security of prisoners, staff, service providers and visitors shall be
ensured at all times (MR 1)
The different categories of prisoners shall be kept in separate institution, taking into
account of their sex, criminal record, legal basis for detention, and treatment
programme(MR11)
Women prisoners shall be attended and supervised only by women staff
members(MR81)
Clear policies and regulations on the conduct of prison staff in providing maximum
protection for women from any gender based violence (BK31)
 The Bangkok Rules
Contact with the Outside World

Women contact with their families, legal representatives shall be encouraged and facilitated by all
reasonable means (BK26)
Visits involving children shall take place in a conducive environment(BK28)
Ensure mental well being and social integration(BK43)
Women prisoners shall be able to exercise this right on an equal basis with men(BK27)
Women prisoners shall be properly consulted as to who, including family members, is allowed to
visit them(BK44)
Regulated access to telephones(BK26)
Given adequate opportunity to communicate with the outside world via written correspondence
(BK26)
 The Bangkok Rules

Prisoner Rehabilitation, Activities and

Programmes
Preparation for Release
Classifying prisoners in groups, distribute in separate prisons and provide suitable treatment programmes
(MR 89)
Assessment of individual needs, capacities and dispositions (MR94)
Social rehabilitation of prisoners (MR 88)Balanced and comprehensive programmes for pregnant
women, nursing mothers and with children in prison(BK42)
 The Bangkok Rules
Special Categories

Risk of abuse that women face in the pre trial detention(BKR 56)
Protection needs of juvenile female prisoners(BKR 36)
Equal access to education and skills training for male and female juvenile
prisoners(BKR37)
Juveniles female prisoners shall have access to age- and gender specific programmes
and services like gynecological health(BKR38)
Pregnant female prisoners shall have equal support and medical care provided to
adult female prisoners(BKR39)
Relocation, transfer of non resident foreign national woman prisoner(BKR53
 The Bangkok Rules
Pregnant women, Mothers and Dependent Children in Prison
Juvenile female prisoners shall receive support and medical care equivalent to adult female prisoners
( BKR 39)
Proper monitoring on medical, healthy environment and nutritional needs provided for the pregnant
and breastfeeding women prisoners ( BKR48)
Decisions to allow children to stay with their mothers in prison based on the best interests of the
children. Children shall never be treated as prisoners.(BKR 49)
Decisions as to when a child is to be separated from his/her mother. Alternative care arrangement
need to be carefully facilitated. (BKR 52)
Children living with their mothers in prison shall be provided with on-going health care services and
their development shall be monitored by specialists in collaboration with the community health
services. Environment of the children shall be close to their mothers (BKR 51)
You will never change your life
until you change something you do daily.
The secret of your success
is found in your daily routine.

John C Maxwell
Thank you