The project aims to achieve an increase in prison standards and compliance with human rights obligations in OT prisons in order to reduce reoffending, through:

1. Developing a set of minimum prison standards that are OT-specific, and

2. Creating a prison inspection mechanism that uses these standards to provide external scrutiny and encourage improvements in prison standards.

The project has involved understanding the political, technical and cultural barriers to establishing inspection regimes in the Territories.

The activities under this project have included:

- Mapping existing places of detention and deprivation of liberty in the Territories to inform the creation of a set of appropriate minimum standards that are context-specific to the OTs.

- An assessment of existing inspection and monitoring mechanisms in operation in the OTs.

- Development of a Framework for monitoring / inspection of places of detention and deprivation of liberty in the OTs. It provides the fundamental principles underlying the inspections, and the human rights-based approach for the inspections, as well as a tool to help guide the inspections.

- We have held and participated in webinars organised with the Ministry of Justice for representatives of OT governments and Governors’ Offices as well as with prison visiting bodies in the Territories.

- A working group of OT governments, governors’ offices, FCDO and the Ministry of Justice has been engaged to define minimum standards for OT prisons in particular as well as designing a monitoring / inspection mechanism for the Territories.

- Developing proposals for a peer-to-peer monitoring / inspection mechanism for the OTs.

In March 2022, Dr Debra Long from the HRIC was part of a scoping visit to the Cayman Islands, to engage with stakeholders and representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Governor’s office, to identify areas where good practice in the Cayman Islands can support other OTs, and to better understand the challenges for monitoring and inspection of prisons in the Cayman Islands.

In July 2023, Prof Murray, from the HRIC was a member of a visiting team to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, to test the applicability of the draft framework in its prison (HMP Dhekelia).

For more information please contact Professor Rachel Murray

The project aims to achieve an increase in prison standards and compliance with human rights obligations in OT prisons in order to reduce reoffending, through:

1. Developing a set of minimum prison standards that are OT-specific, and

2. Creating a prison inspection mechanism that uses these standards to provide external scrutiny and encourage improvements in prison standards.

The project has involved understanding the political, technical and cultural barriers to establishing inspection regimes in the Territories.

The activities under this project have included:

- Mapping existing places of detention and deprivation of liberty in the Territories to inform the creation of a set of appropriate minimum standards that are context-specific to the OTs.

- An assessment of existing inspection and monitoring mechanisms in operation in the OTs.

- Development of a Framework for monitoring / inspection of places of detention and deprivation of liberty in the OTs. It provides the fundamental principles underlying the inspections, and the human rights-based approach for the inspections, as well as a tool to help guide the inspections.

- We have held and participated in webinars organised with the Ministry of Justice for representatives of OT governments and Governors’ Offices as well as with prison visiting bodies in the Territories.

- A working group of OT governments, governors’ offices, FCDO and the Ministry of Justice has been engaged to define minimum standards for OT prisons in particular as well as designing a monitoring / inspection mechanism for the Territories.

- Developing proposals for a peer-to-peer monitoring / inspection mechanism for the OTs.

In March 2022, Dr Debra Long from the HRIC was part of a scoping visit to the Cayman Islands, to engage with stakeholders and representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Governor’s office, to identify areas where good practice in the Cayman Islands can support other OTs, and to better understand the challenges for monitoring and inspection of prisons in the Cayman Islands.

In July 2023, Prof Murray, from the HRIC was a member of a visiting team to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, to test the applicability of the draft framework in its prison (HMP Dhekelia).

For more information please contact Professor Rachel Murray