Training of prison staff

1. All prison staff shall possess an adequate standard of education and shall be given the ability and means to carry out their duties in a professional manner.

2. Before entering on duty, all prison staff shall be provided with training tailored to their general and specific duties, which shall be reflective of contemporary evidence-based best practice in penal sciences. Only those candidates who successfully pass the theoretical and practical tests at the end of such training shall be allowed to enter the prison service.

3. The prison administration shall ensure the continuous provision of in service training courses with a view to maintaining and improving the knowledge and professional capacity of its personnel, after entering on duty and during their career.

Training referred to in paragraph 2 of rule 75 shall include, at a minimum, training on:

(a) Relevant national legislation, regulations and policies, as well as applicable international and regional instruments, the provisions of which must guide the work and interactions of prison staff with inmates;
(b) Rights and duties of prison staff in the exercise of their functions, including respecting the human dignity of all prisoners and the prohibition of certain conduct, in particular torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
(c) Security and safety, including the concept of dynamic security, the use of force and instruments of restraint, and the management of violent offenders, with due consideration of preventive and defusing techniques, such as negotiation and mediation [...]

Training referred to in paragraph 2 of rule 75 shall include, at a minimum, training on: [...]

(d) First aid, the psychosocial needs of prisoners and the corresponding dynamics in prison settings, as well as social care and assistance, including early detection of mental health issues.

Prison staff who are in charge of working with certain categories of prisoners, or who are assigned other specialized functions, shall receive training that has a corresponding focus.

The personnel should receive such training as will enable them to carry out their responsibilities effectively, in particular training in child psychology, child welfare and international standards and norms of human rights and the rights of the child, including the present Rules. The personnel should maintain and improve their knowledge and professional capacity by attending courses of in-service training, to be organized at suitable intervals throughout their career.

g) Undertake programmes of training and awareness-raising for prison personnel and all other officials in the public and private sector who are engaged in detention facilities, regarding international human rights standards and principles of equality and non-discrimination, including to sexual orientation and sexual identity.

c) Undertake programmes of training and awareness-raising for police, prison personnel and all other officials in the public and private sector who are in a position to perpetrate or to prevent such acts.

1. All staff assigned to work with women prisoners shall receive training relating to the gender-specific needs and human rights of women prisoners.

2. Basic training shall be provided for prison staff working in women‟s prisons on the main issues relating to women's health, in addition to first aid and basic medicine.

3. Where children are allowed to stay with their mothers in prison, awareness-raising on child development and basic training on the health care of children shall also be provided to prison staff, in order for them to respond appropriately in times of need and emergencies.

81. The Special Rapporteur recommends that States adopt child-friendly administrative and criminal court procedures and train police officers, border guards, detention staff, judges and others who may encounter children deprived of their liberty in child protection principles and a better understanding of the vulnerabilities of children to human rights violations, such as torture and other forms of ill-treatment. Special mention should be made of girls, who are particularly vulnerable, and to special groups of children, such as minorities, disabled children and migrants.

Non-discrimination and promotion of cultural diversity should be part of the professional training of all staff within the criminal justice system.

Minorities should be involved in the training process, including in developing and delivering training modules. Whenever possible, training should be continuous and should target senior staff first, so as to ensure provision of leadership.

Appropriate educational programmes for law enforcement, justice system and prison staff should include material on respect for human rights, tolerance and friendship among racial, ethnic or religious groups, as well as sensitization to intercultural relations  and the elimination of discriminatory behaviour (including informal profiling).

With regard to women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in detention, the Special Rapporteur calls on all States to:

(z) Undertake specific training and capacity-building programmes designed to sensitize law enforcement authorities and detention facility staff to the specific circumstances and unique needs of female and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender prisoners and standards such as the Bangkok Rules.

Before entering into duty, staff shall be given a course of training in their general and specific duties and be required to pass theoretical and practical tests.

Management shall ensure that, throughout their career, all staff maintain and improve their knowledge and professional capacity by attending courses of in-service training and development to be organised at suitable intervals.

Staff who are to work with specific groups of prisoners, such as foreign nationals, women, juveniles or mentally ill prisoners, etc., shall be given specific training for their specialised work.

The training of all staff shall include instruction in the international and regional human rights instruments and standards, especially the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as well as in the application of the European Prison Rules.

[...] The personnel of places of deprivation of liberty shall receive initial instruction and periodic specialized training, with an emphasis on the social nature of their work. Such instruction and training shall include, at least, education on human rights; on the rights, duties, and prohibitions in the exercise of their functions; and on national and international principles and rules regarding the use of force, firearms, and physical restraint. For these purposes, the Member States of the Organization of American States shall promote the creation and operation of specialized education and training programs with the participation and cooperation of social institutions and private enterprises.

The cornerstone of a humane prison system will always be properly recruited and trained prison staff who know how to adopt the appropriate attitude in their relations with prisoners and see their work more as a vocation than as a mere job. Building positive relations with prisoners should be recognised as a key feature of that vocation

Finally, the CPT wishes to emphasise the great importance it attaches to the training of law enforcement personnel1 (which should include education on human rights matters - cf. also Article 10 of the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment). There is arguably no better guarantee against the ill- treatment of a person deprived of his liberty than a properly trained police or prison officer. Skilled officers will be able to carry out successfully their duties without having recourse to ill- treatment and to cope with the presence of fundamental safeguards for detainees and prisoners

In this connection, the CPT believes that aptitude for interpersonal communication should be a major factor in the process of recruiting law enforcement personnel and that, during training, considerable emphasis should be placed on developing interpersonal communication skills, based on respect for human dignity. The possession of such skills will often enable a police or prison officer to defuse a situation which could otherwise turn into violence, and more generally, will lead to a lowering of tension, and raising of the quality of life, in police and prison establishments, to the benefit of all concerned

All staf, including those with custodial duties, who are in direct contact with juveniles should receive professional training, both during induction and on an ongoing basis, and beneft from appropriate external support and supervision in the exercise of their duties. Particular attention should be given to staf training in the management of violent incidents, especially in verbal de-escalation to reduce tension and professional restraint techniques.

It is the responsibility of the establishments' administration to take special precautions to protect juveniles from all forms of abuse, including sexual or other kinds of exploitation. Staf members should be alert to signs of bullying (including physical and sexual assault, verbal abuse, extortion, and theft of other juveniles' belongings) and should know how to respond accordingly and adopt a pro-active attitude to prevent such incidents from occurring.

States should have in place, and make known, laws, policies and standard operating procedures, which accord with Member States’ obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international law and standards, to:

j. Ensure that there is adequate and efficient staffing in places of detention, and that staff are trained in terms of these Guidelines, including special training on the provisions for vulnerable persons, and subject to effective oversight and accountability mechanisms.

a. States shall ensure that all officials who are involved in the arrest, custody, interrogation and treatment of individuals subject to arrest, police custody and pre-trial detention are properly trained in relation to the provisions of these Guidelines. The provisions of these Guidelines and other relevant guidelines developed by the African Commission pursuant to the African Charter shall be fully incorporated into the curricula of all basic and in-service training.

b. States shall ensure that where places of detention are under the management of, or staffed by, private security organisations, all personnel are properly trained in relation to the provisions and implemen- tation of these Guidelines, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and all other relevant guidelines developed by the African Commission and the United Nations.

39.1. Staff involved in the admission of foreign prisoners shall be appropriately trained to deal with them.

39.2. Persons who work with foreign prisoners shall be trained to respect cultural diversity and to understand the particular problems faced by such prisoners.

39.3. Such training may include learning languages spoken most often by foreign prisoners.

39.4. Training programmes shall be evaluated and revised regularly to ensure they reflect changing populations and social circumstances.

39.5. Persons who deal with foreign suspects and offenders shall be kept informed of current national law and practices and international and regional human rights law and standards relating to their treatment, including this recommendation.

40. Appropriately trained specialists shall be appointed to engage in work with foreign prisoners and to liaise with the relevant agencies, professionals and associations on matters related to such prisoners.