Covid-19 and Torture Prevention: The Brief
Scene setter
In this challenge you will take on the role of a prison advisor for a human rights organisation. In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, your aim is to produce an informative poster to help prison officers around the world take steps to ensure that the human rights of prisoners are upheld and, in doing so, reduce the risk of outbreaks of COVID in prisons. The poster will also be shared with prisoners, so they know what the authorities are doing to protect them. The key to the success of such an initiative is to illustrate how small things can lead to big wins.
The Law
Inhuman and cruel treatment is a form of torture and there is an absolute prohibition on torture in international law. Legal frameworks to prevent and prohibit torture are in place and are enforced - and states (countries) are encouraged to sign and implement the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment. Read article 10 of the Convention (PDF, 72kB) on page 3 to understand how your poster will fulfil a requirement for every state to educate those responsible for detaining people. This is for background information only.
Some data
A recent report from Amnesty International, Forgotten Behind Bars: COVID-19 and Prisons (PDF, 214kB) - reveals that, with more than 11 million estimated people imprisoned globally, prisons in many countries risk becoming hotbeds for the disease. Read this article to get a feel for what happens when measures introduced by governments to prevent the spread of the disease lead to human rights violations. Your recommendations will illustrate that this is not acceptable and that there are other ways of doing things.
Prisoner's basic rights
The United Nations Standard Minimum Requirements for the Treatment of Prisoners (PDF, 66kB) are intended to set out what is generally accepted as being good principle and practice in the treatment of prisoners and the management of institutions. Read the sections relating to Food, Medical Services, Exercise and Sport, Complaints and Access to the Outside world. As you read through think about how these might be affected by a pandemic - and how prison authorities can uphold them whilst avoiding the spread of Coronavirus.
Recommendations
In April, shortly after the UK locked down for the first time, Professor Sir Malcolm Evans, in his role as Chair of the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT), set out detailed advice and measures (PDF, 118kB) that governments and independent monitoring bodies should take to reduce health risks posed by coronavirus in the prisons. For the purposes of this challenge, we will not be focusing on the big measures - such as reducing prison numbers through early-release programmes, but the small things that could make a real difference for those that remain in detention. Read through section II, Measures to be taken by authorities, and pick out just five recommendations that you can build on for your poster.
Pulling it all together
Once you've read all the background information, check out the 'creating an educational poster' check list to help clarify your thinking and formalise the structure of your poster. Keep in mind that this poster aims to educate prison officers in some simple steps to ensure human rights of prisoners are upheld. It also works to inform prisoners what the authorities are doing to protect them.