“No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” – Nelson Mandela One out of every 700 people in the world is in prison. The world’s prison population stands at over 9 million, with 1 million incarcerated in Africa. The continent has roughly 3000 prisons spread over 53 countries, and while they hold just 10 per cent of the world’s prison population, the figure is constantly rising. In Africa, as in many parts of the world, prisons are in crisis. High rates of confinement have lead to overcrowding, unsafe and squalid conditions and a general lack of resources. The penal crisis is not limited to poor or developing countries, but is international. However, very little data has been available on the situation in African jails, and as a result many critical issues remain submerged. Human Rights in African Prisons (HSRC Press), edited by Jeremy Sarkin, looks at prisons in Africa from a continental perspective, raising awareness of the many challenges that need to be addressed. Through finding the similarities, differences, strengths and weaknesses in prisons across nations in Africa, the publication seeks to make recommendations on how the situations can be improved.

On Wednesday 10 September 2008 the HSRC Press will launch this important publication at UCT’s Breakwater Campus, itself an industrial prison until 1926. Judge Deon van Zyl, Inspecting Judge of Prisons, will speak at this function. All are welcome to attend and further information can be requested at publishing@hsrc.ac.za.

More about the book:

Prisons around the world and in Africa have much in common – they form an intrinsic part of the criminal justice system used to maintain order and social control; and they are plagued by similar problems, including overcrowding and corruption. Prisoners generally live in dire conditions. And certain pervasive human rights violations of prisoners are glaringly obvious. Within this context, African prisons have their own specific issues that need to be addressed. While taking note of global research figures, Human Rights in African Prisons focuses on the unique problems – and solutions – that occur on the continent. The chapters range from exploring the historical context of African prisons through to contemporary research on women and children in prisons, as well as looking at topics such as good governance and rehabilitation.

In his chapter, Stephen Pete notes that penal incarceration was largely unknown in pre-colonial Africa; when the prison system was introduced by colonialists, racial oppression was the driving force behind incarceration. Many of the problems that existed during colonial times are still prevalent throughout the continent.

Chris Tapscott looks at challenges to good prison governance in Africa, specifically at how prison leadership can affect the entire running of an institution. Training and education of prison staff is imperative to maintaining a well-run, efficient prison.

Overcrowding in African prisons is chronic – of the 31 countries in Africa with available information, 27 have overcrowded prisons, operating at an average of 150 per cent capacity. As Victor Dankwa notes, overcrowding contributes to disease, unsanitary conditions, violence and death, particularly with the onslaught of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Pre-trial detention and human rights are explored in Martin Schonteich’s chapter, which reveals that many of those imprisoned in Africa have never been convicted but are awaiting trial.

Julia Sloth-Nielsen’s chapter deals with children in prisons, both those serving a sentence for alleged criminal behaviour and those who are in prison with their mothers.

Lisa Vetten examines the imprisonment of women in Africa, who make up between 1 and 6 per cent of prison populations. While women prisoners face similar problems to men – overcrowding, physical violence – their situation is also gender specific. Sanitary management of menstruation, for example, is often inadequate, while abuse of female prisoners by male warders is a critical factor.

Amanda Dissel looks at rehabilitation in African prisons, where severe underfunding and a lack of resources often hinder successful reintegration back into society.

Alternative sentencing of prisoners – from the imposition of fines to community service – is tackled by Lukas Mattingh, whose chapter argues that the use of alternative sentencing can be a tool in alleviating human rights violations in African prisons.

Finally, Rachel Murray looks at the African Commission’s approach to prisons and human rights, and evaluates how effective (or not) the commission has been since its inception in 1986.

Human Rights in African Prisons (HSRC Press) provides an engaging, rigorously researched and constructive perspective on a subject which has, for varying reasons, been difficult to research from a continental perspective. In exposing some of the critical challenges facing prison systems in Africa, the publication makes an important contribution to discourse on the subject, and will certainly inspire and provoke further research into this crucial area.

Human rights in African prisons (HSRC Press) is edited by Jeremy Sarkin, Visiting Professor of Human Rights at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and Senior Professor of Law at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town. He has a masters in law from Harvard Law School and a doctor of laws degree from the University of the Western Cape. He has worked on constitutional and transitional issues in various countries, and served as an acting judge in the Cape High Court in South Africa. Contributors to Human rights in African prisons include Victor Dankwa, Rachel Murray, Chris Tapscott, Lisa Vetten and Stephen Pete..Copies of all of HSRC Press published titles are available from leading booksellers nationally, and from the online bookshop at www.hsrcpress.ac.za.

For a review copy of the book, or to make contact with the editor or contributors, contact:

Shaun StuartMarketing Co-ordinatorHSRC Press

Tel: +27 21 466 8002Fax: +27 21 461 0836e-mail: sstuart@hsrc.ac.za