Introduction to the Nelson Mandela Rules International Training Programme, Trainer’s Manual

This publication has been developed to guide trainers leading 4-day in-person training courses for prison staff designed by the OSCE’s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Penal Reform International (PRI) in partnership with the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (SPPS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

This manual has been made available as an online resource to encourage the developmentof training programmes on the Nelson Mandela Rules or to supplement existing training agendas. It will also be provided to all those participating in the ODIHR/PRITraining-of-Trainer sessions. The training course is arranged thematically. It gives guidance on how to implement minimum standards for the treatment of people in prison and should not hinder the implementation and development of higher standards of prison management, treatment of prisoners or prison conditions. The course also makes regular reference to the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) where particularly relevant. The manual provides presentations, practical exercises and guidance notes that trainers can use, as well as other background information and resources that may be useful in the different sessions. The dedicated set of PowerPoint slides that accompany this training course are available here.