Global Prison Trends 2018 is the fourth edition in PRI’s annual flagship Global Prison Trends series, which identifies topical developments and challenges in criminal justice and prison policy and practice. It is published in collaboration with the Thailand Institute of Justice, and features a foreword by the Rt Hon Helen Clark, Member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Former Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.

Global Prison Trends 2018 explores:

• Trends in the use of imprisonment, including the use of pre-trial detention as an automatic response to suspects; the ongoing challenge of prison overcrowding; and the steady growth in the number of life-sentenced prisoners around the world.

• Prison populations, such as the specific needs of women, children and LGBTI prisoners.

• Developments and challenges in prison management, including record levels of prisoner violence in a number of prison systems; healthcare challenges and shortages of qualified healthcare staff; and the need to address violent extremism and prevent radicalisation in the prison system.

• The role of technology in criminal justice and prison systems, such as the use of ‘telemedicine’ to provide mental healthcare and treatment, and the rise in access to online education and training.

• The expansion of prison alternatives, including community service orders and electronic monitoring, and a growing trend in the use of restorative justice.

A Special Focus section looks at the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders in the era of sustainable development, exploring how the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders back into their communities can incorporate a broader developmental perspective, contributing to the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Global Prison Trends 2018 was launched at the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on 15 May 2018.

Read the report: