1

Good Practice Manual of Working with Foreign Prisoners

Implementation of recommendation Council of Europe CM / Rec (2012) 12 concerning foreign prisoners March 2017

No. Rule/Issue addressed in CM/Rec (2012) 12 Description of initiative National, Legal basis. Contact details
regional or Budgetary for further
local initiative issues information
Preamble Alleviate any possible isolation
Preamble Facilitate treatment with a view to their social Sweden: National Johannes.ever
reintegration The Swedish correctional system is based upon s@kriminalvar
RNR (Risk - Need – Responsivity) likewise the den.se
treatment programs for social reintegration. In
2015, we started a national project to make sure
foreign prisoners that don´t speak understand can
undergo treatment. Since then we focus on:
- Recruitment of facilitators with
appropriate language skills.
- Identify what language skills current
facilitators have.
- Translate workbooks and working tools
for clients to various treatment programs.
- Provide workshops in "easy Swedish" to
facilitators.
- Provide new technical equipment to the
facilitators such as touch pad including
lexicon and pictures in order to make the
treatment smoother and easier.
 2

- Find solutions to make facilitators pursue

treatment program through video calls
(Skype). In order to do this, form a pool of
language skilled facilitators that can
provide this.
- Find good solutions in order to use
interpreter combined with treatment
programs.

Preamble Treatment should take into account the special needs Sweden: National and Marcus.wagen
of FPs All clients in the Swedish prison and probation individual berg@kriminal
service, including FP, undergoes a comprehensive initiative varden.se
risk, needs and responsivity assessment called
RNR-A (RBM-B). The RNR-A is an empirically-
based, 87-item standardized screening tool to be
completed based on a file review and a
structured client interview. Based on number,
character and constellations of risks and needs
factors, a computerized decision-aid suggests re-
offending risks (low-medium-high) in various
types of crime. The RNR-A also provides a
computerized summary of client needs and
guides manual assessment of client responsivity
to available treatments and interventions.

In the treatment, we don’t have a national special

solution according to FP. In order to understand
the client responsivity is a important part of the
treatment. In the concept responsivity language,
culture and psychological needs is important
according to the treatment.
 3

Belgium: National National Geert

Extra Care Project: This project for immigration budget Verbauwhede
detainees aims for a systematic detection and (mostly –
signalization of specific problems or vulnerabilities return geert.verbauw
and to provide a custom-made care and budget) hede@ibz.fgov
assistance: during detention, during return and .be + Maylis
after return. Detainees ‘labeled’ as ‘Extra Care’ by Dereymaeker
a multidisciplinary team in the center are signaled –
as such at our administrative services. The case mailys.dereym
management at these services is higher as they aeker@ibz.fgo
have to treat a person with Extra Care needs. v.be
Within the center this system also aims that
there’s more of a continue and custom-made
accompaniment of these persons. For organizing
return, the multidisciplinary advice from
specialized staff in the center is consulted on:
necessities for assistance and caretaking during
return (ex. escorts, medical assistance, etc.),
necessities for assistance and caretaking after
return (ex. medical follow-up, etc.). The Extra Care
Information sheets provide the staff of the center
with guidelines about communication and
interaction with such ‘Extra Care’ residents.

Belgium: National National Isabelle

Special needs project for immigration detainees: budget VERVLOESEM
when a person with a certain vulnerability is (mostly T:
detected in the detention centers (through the return 003227938212
above-mentioned extra care project), In prisons or budget) M:
psychiatric centers (through the psychosocial or Isabelle.vervlo
medical services) or in the return houses for esem@ibz.fgo
families (through the migration counsellors), then v.be
 4

a request for assistance can be sent to the special

needs project workers. These requests can
consist of the following means of support:

1. Availability of medication/treatment in country

of origin
2. Purchase of medication for period after return
3. Admission in psychiatric facility in Belgium to
stabilize the psychiatric condition
4. Accompaniment during flight
5. Medical, psychosocial, administrative follow-up,
family tracing for support after return in the
country of origin

The kind of support provided depends on the

condition of the returnee and the possibilities in
the country of origin. Belgium is paying for the
support during a transitional period, to allow the
returnee to get his life back on track (maximum 1
year). Economical support and cash money are
NOT given to keep the programs on voluntary
return more interesting. For prisoners, this
project is especially aimed to organize
reintegration (especially psychiatric care and
family tracing) in the country of origin, with the
aim to fulfill the conditions which are set by the
Justice-commissions, who must decide on the
release of psychiatric patients who were
considered not to be accountable for their crimes.

Preamble Provide with opportunities equal to those of other Sweden: National

prisoners. Our goal is to be personalized, equitable and
legally secure correction.
 5

2 Basic Foreign prisoners shall be treated with respect for

3 Principles their human rights and with due regard for their
particular situation and individual needs.
2 Basic Foreign suspects and offenders shall be entitled to be
4 Principles considered for the same range of non-custodial
sanctions and measures as other suspects and
offenders; they shall not be excluded from
consideration on the grounds of their status.
2 Basic Foreign suspects and offenders shall not be
5 Principles remanded in custody or sentenced to custodial
sanctions on the grounds of their status, but, as for
other suspects and offenders, only when strictly
necessary and as a measure of last resort.
2 Basic Foreign offenders sentenced to imprisonment shall
6 Principles be entitled to full consideration for early release.
2 Basic Positive steps shall be taken to avoid discrimination
7 Principles and to address specific problems that foreign persons
may face while subject to community sanctions or
measures, in prison, during transfer and after release
2 Basic Foreign prisoners who so require shall be given Sweden: National Tommy.Nyma
8 Principles appropriate access to interpretation and translation All foreign prisoners can apply for language n@kriminalvar
facilities and the possibility to learn a language that studies. Usually they start with education in den.se
will enable them to communicate more effectively. Swedish for immigrants. You get a basic
knowledge of the Swedish language. You learn to
speak, read and write in Swedish and must
practice using the language in everyday and
working life. After completing the course, you get
scores. Some prisoner usually with shorter time
in prison can choose to study English
2 Basic The prison regime shall accommodate the special
9 Principles welfare needs of foreign prisoners and prepare them
for release and social reintegration.
 6

2 Basic Decisions to transfer foreign prisoners to a State with

10 Principles which they have links shall be taken with respect for
human rights, in the interests of justice and with
regard to the need to socially reintegrate such
prisoners.
2 Basic Sufficient resources shall be allocated in order to deal
11 Principles effectively with the particular situation and specific
needs of foreign prisoners.
2 Basic Appropriate training in dealing with foreign suspects
12 Principles and offenders shall be provided for the relevant
authorities, agencies, professionals and associations
which have regular contact with such persons.
3 Use of In order to ensure that remand in custody is used for
13. Remand in foreign suspects, as for other suspects, only when
1 Custody strictly necessary and as a measure of last resort, it
shall be governed by Recommendation Rec(2006)13
on the use of remand in custody, the conditions in
which it takes place and the provision of safeguards
against abuse.
3 Use of In particular:
13. Remand in
2. Custody a. alternatives to remand in custody shall always be
considered for a foreign suspect; and

b. the fact that such a suspect is neither a national

nor a resident of the State or has no other links with
that State shall not, in itself, be sufficient to conclude
that there is a risk of flight.
4 Sentencing In order to ensure that custodial sanctions are
14. imposed on foreign offenders, as for other offenders,
1 only when strictly necessary and as a measure of last
resort, sentencing shall take into consideration
Recommendation Rec(92)17 concerning consistency
 7

in sentencing. In particular, foreign offenders shall be

considered for the same range of non-custodial
sanctions or measures as national offenders.
4 Sentencing The judicial authorities shall be provided, where England & Wales: HM Prison & Probation Service; National National Susie.Carr@pr
14. possible and appropriate, with pre-sentence reports Guidance has been produced for court report Professiona obation.gsi.gov
2 about the personal circumstances of foreign writers to enable Courts to be made aware of the l guidance .uk
offenders and their families, the likely impact of possibility of foreign offenders being able to
various sanctions on them and the possibility and undertake non-custodial sentences. Sentence No
desirability of their being transferred after Planning Guidance, which focus on gaining budgetary
sentencing. compliance as well as long term resettlement impact
needs has been made available to all National assessment
Probation staff via the NPS Intranet, and on
EQuiP. EQuiP is designed as a process guide for
staff for all areas of the business, and where
overlaps occur e.g with Court, links are made to
that area. The Foreign National Offender section
of EQuiP was published on the 4th April 2016.
4 Sentencing To avoid disproportionate hardship and obstacles to
14. social reintegration, account shall be taken when
3 considering sentences of the possible impact that
such sentences may have on individual offenders and
their dependants, without prejudice to the
independence of the judiciary.
5 Conditions At admission and during detention – information in Belgium: National National Geert
15. of language they understand about Immigration Office has created information initiative budget Verbauwhede
1 imprisonme - rights and duties and contact with CR brochures in 7 languages about the rights and –
nt; - prison regime and regulations obligations linked to immigration status geert.verbauw
Admission - procedures for requests and complaints (procedures, appeals, consequences of irregular hede@ibz.fgov
- rights to legal advice staying). These are given to detainees on .be +
admission and if necessary, during the visit of Maryvonne
immigration staff to prison. Immigration staff will Jacquemin –
also give information during their visit (ad hoc, or Maryvonne.jac
at request), if necessary with an interpreter. The
 8

immigration staff member will also fill out a form quemin@ibz.fg

“Right to Heard” with the migrant (in +/- 15 ov.be
languages), which gives them the opportunity to
declare whether there are reasons why they could
not be removed to their country of origin (Art. 42
European Fundamental Rights Treaty)
Belgium: Local initiative Legal Basis: Management
Communication with non-native speaking of Antwerp Basic Law team of the
prisoners: Prison. Apart on the Prison of
Design pictures and icons to provide a visual image from the prison Antwerp,
of rules and/or procedures prison of system and Begijnenstraat
Within its population, the prison of Antwerp has Antwerp, both the legal 42, 2000
around 58 different nationalities. Though not the prison of status of Antwerp,
easy, they aim to communicate effectively and Beveren and the Belgium
clearly with them. Especially, when not all Mechelen detainees:
detainees are able to speak either Dutch, German, were in relation
French or English. About 25% of their prison interested in to avoiding
population cannot communicate without the using the same detention
intervention of an interpreter – provided an images in their damage
interpreter is available. communicatio
n with Budgetary
In addition to problems of oral communication detainees. issues:
they have also identified that many prisoners have Costs of
illiteracy problems. As a result, a lot of written graphic
communication (e.g. the brochure for incoming artist
prisoners, teletext, …) is lost even though the
information is broadcasted in different languages.
Communication can end up in frustration, for both
staff & detainees. This consequently, does not
contribute to better work or living conditions.
Effective and clear communication is required in
prison where the daily operation is restrained by
strict procedures and rules, to which detainees
 9

have to comply. It is, therefore, of utmost

importance that all detainees understand these
rules and procedures, both from a human and
from a security perspective.

All this has led to the idea of designing pictures

and icons to provide a visual image of rules and/or
procedures. The prison personnel can thus point
out a picture/icon to a detainee, who cannot
communicate in the most common languages, to
make clear what is expected. These tools can be
used to support all oral and written
communication.
The development of these pictures and icons (that
are free of any cultural interpretation) fits into a
broader process of interculturalizing the reception
policy within the prison. This project was
launched in 2008 in collaboration with ‘Het
Antwerps Minderhedencentrum De8 VZW1 (the
Antwerp Minorities Centre De 8 vzw), the Flemish
Government and CAW Antwerpen.

Thanks to funding of the Department of Justice,

they were able to start looking for a graphic artist
or design agency to turn oral and written
communication into visual content in the
beginning of 2008.
Today, they still experience it as a great success.
Both detainees and staff benefit from this project.
 10

Today, this 'visual' communication is extended

through the overall communication with
detainees: using the same symbolism and same
style.
Overview:
Several instruments were developed in
collaboration with a design agency:

• Posters:
1. the access procedure to prison for visitors
2. approved items at entry of the prison
3. prohibited items at entry of the prison
4. The lease arrangements in the library
5. The lending policy from the library
6. The rules regarding sports
7. The procedure regarding the use of the
telephones
8. The rules regarding clothing dispensation
9. An overview of the various sizes of clothing
10. A week overview of the various activities for
each section
11. Procedure regarding swapping broken cutlery

• Comics:
1. Description of the procedure for sports,
2. The procedure regarding a phone application,
3. The procedure to request a TV,
4. The attire requirements for different activities,
5. The law on temporary custody

• Icons: the design of 25 icons, which visualize a

service or services (eg doctor, walk, PSD, etc).
 11

• booklets:
The development of the 'Image' booklet helps
staff communicate with foreign detainees. This
booklet contains pictures or icons that show
certain actions, such as "Today you have to clean
the cell," "you are not allowed to hand anything
onto the cell window," and other actions. These
booklets were printed in pocket size to be easily
stowed in the front pocket of uniform shirts.
Belgium: Local initiative Legal Basis: Management
Nested information on the section for incoming of Antwerp Basic Law team of the
detainees (4th Section) Prison on the Prison of
prison Antwerp,
The admission and supply of information of system and Begijnenstraat
incoming detainees is one of the core businesses the legal 42, 2000
in a prison like Antwerp, where people are status of Antwerp,
detained before trial. the Belgium
Upon arrival, the detainee is faced with numerous detainees):
physical actions within the admission procedure in relation
into our prison. First, the detainee must go to avoiding
through the administrative steps of the detention
registration process. They are assigned to a cell damage
after undergoing a body search. Within the first
24 hours of detention the detainee must be seen Budgetary
by many departments (e.g. prison director, issues:
medical examination, fingerprinting, a none
consultation with the psycho-social service,
detention counselor, an extraction by the police,
…) Consequently, the detainee is overwhelmed
with information and questions by these different
departments. Thus, to an incoming detainee it
often is a quest to have the correct information at
their disposal.
 12

To the management, it became clear that

spreading incoming detainees over the overall
prison resulted in a severe work load due to their
many questions. In addition, a significant
percentage of incoming detainees (over 60%) are
imprisoned for the first time in their life.
Therefore, special care and attention is needed
when explaining the rules and organization of the
prison. A great number of these detainees are
released within the first 5 days or meet a specific
modality of criminal execution. The work load,
consequently, elevates when ‘short stay’
detainees must go through all these steps.
It was decided to develop a project of ‘nested
information’ parallel to the CAT project. In practical
terms this means that one section was set up
specifically for incoming detainees. As a result, we
could deal with the questions, requirements and
necessities of first time detainees. These detainees
will later be transferred to another section when
the arrest warrant is confirmed. Exceptions may be
made when necessary but only in consultation with
the prison director.
Sweden: National and
We always offer information in their language local
and always an interpreter when needed to
explain legal rights and any step in the legal
process.
5 Conditions Immediately after admission, prison authorities shall Croatia: Dubrovnik Prison Foreign Prisoner Policy Local policy Not Smiljka.Baranc
15. of assist foreign prisoners who wish to do so, to inform Summary; applicable ek@uzs.pravos
2 imprisonme of their imprisonment their families, legal advisers, Overview of the management of foreign prisoners udje.hr
nt; consular reps and other persons and orgs who assist at Dubrovnik Prison where they have 58 foreign
Admission them prisoners in a 2015 review. Summary of their
 13

assessment, allocation and management during

their imprisonment.

5 Conditions As soon as possible after admission, foreign prisoners

15. of shall be provided with information, in a language
3 imprisonme they understand, orally or in writing, of international
nt; transfer possibilities.
Admission
5 Conditions Decisions regarding the allocation of foreign Europe/Netherlands: Foreign National Prisoners Contact Prison
16. of prisoners shall take into account the need to alleviate Picture Dictionary - ‘Picture it in Prison’. Watch via
1 imprisonme their potential isolation and to facilitate their contact prisonwatch@
nt; with the outside world. Difficulties stemming from a prisoner’s ability to prisonwatch.or
Allocation speak the primary language of their prison is an g for more
obstacle in most prisons holding foreign prisoners information
and immigration detainees. and a
download of
A pocket-size booklet ‘Picture it in Prison’ has the copyright
been developed for foreign national prisoners and version of the
prison staff to overcome such language obstacles. booklet.
The booklet consists of over 450 pictures which
are classified per theme and translations of sixty The booklet
basic words and sentences in twenty frequently (72 pages) can
spoken languages in prison. These languages are: be ordered via
English, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, prisonwatch@
French, Russian, German, Turkish, Romanian, prisonwatch.or
Italian, Dutch, Albanese, Greek, Japanese, g for € 6
Swedish, Swahili, Persian, Hindi and Polish. (excluding 6%
VAT and postal
costs). For
large orders
(over 2.000) it
is possible to
add the logo of
 14

the prison
service /
organisation
on the reverse
side of the
cover.

5 Conditions Subject to the requirements of safety and security,

16. of and the individual needs of foreign prisoners,
2 imprisonme consideration shall be given to housing foreign
nt; prisoners in prisons close to transport facilities that
Allocation would enable their families to visit them.
5 Conditions Where appropriate and subject to the requirements
16. of of safety and security, foreign prisoners shall be
3 imprisonme allocated to prisons where there are others of their
nt; nationality, culture, religion or who speak their
Allocation language.
5 Conditions Decisions on whether to accommodate foreign
17 of prisoners together shall be based primarily on their
imprisonme individual needs and the facilitation of their social
nt; reintegration, while ensuring a safe and secure
Accommod environment for prisoners and staff.
ation
5 Conditions Facilities for sanitation and hygiene shall, as far as
18. of practicable, accommodate the cultural and religious
1 imprisonme preferences of foreign prisoners, while maintaining
nt; appropriate medical standards.
Hygiene
5 Conditions Rules that require prisoners to keep their appearance
18. of clean and tidy shall be interpreted in a manner that
2 imprisonme respects prisoners’ cultural and religious preferences,
nt; while maintaining appropriate medical standards.
 15

Hygiene
5 Conditions Clothes provided by prison authorities shall not
19. of offend the cultural or religious sensibilities of foreign
1 imprisonme prisoners.
nt; Clothing
5 Conditions Where clothes are not provided by the prison
19. of authorities, prisoners shall be allowed, subject to the
2 imprisonme requirements of safety and security, to wear clothes
nt; Clothing that reflect their cultural and religious traditions.

5 Conditions In addition to providing a nutritious diet that takes

20 of account of the cultural and religious requirements of
imprisonme prisoners, prison authorities shall, where possible,
nt; provide prisoners with opportunities to purchase and
Nutrition cook food that makes their diet more culturally
appropriate and to take their meals at times that
meet their religious requirements.
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners shall be informed, in a language
21. of they understand, about their right to legal advice on
1 imprisonme matters affecting their detention and status.
nt;
Legal
Advice &
assistance
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners shall be informed about possible Sweden: National and
21. of legal aid and, where necessary, assisted in accessing We always offer information in their language local
2 imprisonme such legal aid. and always an interpreter when needed to
nt; explain legal rights and any step in the legal
Legal process.
Advice &
assistance
 16

5 Conditions Foreign prisoners who need to communicate with Sweden: National and
21. of their legal adviser shall be allowed access to We always offer information in their language local
3 imprisonme interpretation where necessary. and always an interpreter when needed to
nt; explain legal rights and any step in the legal
Legal process.
Advice &
assistance
5 Conditions Prison authorities shall facilitate the provision of
21. of administrative and legal assistance to foreign
4 imprisonme prisoners by approved outside agencies.
nt;
Legal
Advice &
assistance
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners who are subject to disciplinary Sweden: National and
21. of proceedings shall be assisted by an interpreter where We always use interpreters where necessary local
5 imprisonme necessary.
nt;
Legal
Advice &
assistance
5 Conditions To alleviate the potential isolation of foreign European Groups providing services for their National All groups See
22. of prisoners, special attention shall be paid to the nationals imprisoned abroad: have their attachment;
1 imprisonme maintenance and development of their relationships different ‘5 22 1 a
nt; with the outside world, including contacts with family There are a small number of groups in Europe criteria for European
Contact and friends, consular representatives, probation and providing services for their nationals imprisoned initial & on- Groups
with community agencies and volunteers. in prisons in and outside Europe. See list going working
outside ‘European Groups working with prisoners abroad’. contact prisoners
world with abroad
These groups can be statutory, such as the Dutch prisoners. Jan2017’.
Reclassering Nederland, Bureau Buitenland, For
supported through a combination of government information
and charitable grants such as Prisoners Abroad about the
 17

(UK), The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas EuroPris/CEP

(ICPO) and Italian Prisoners Abroad (IPA). These 4 Foreign
groups above are members of the EuroPris/CEP Nationals in
Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation Expert Prison &
Group. Probation
Expert Group;
http://www.eu
ropris.org/exp
ert-
groups/foreign
-nationals-in-
prison/
and
http://www.ce
p-
probation.org/
foreign-
national-
prisoners/

The Netherlands: National Statutory General e-

International Office of The Netherlands Probation agency. mail:
Service, Bureau Buitenland. buitenland@re
Dutch Probation Agency working with Dutch classering.nl
nationals imprisoned abroad. Foreign Desk
e-mail:
buitenlandbali
e@reclasserin
g.nl
http://www.re
classering.nl/b
 18

uitenland/bure
au-buitenland
Ireland: The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas National Charity www.icpo.ie
The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas provides
information, support and advice to Irish prisoners icpo@iecon.ie
overseas and their families.

Italy: Italian Prisoners Abroad National Charity info@act-bs.it

Works with Italian nationals imprisoned abroad. with
Offers support to prisoners and their families by statutory www.act-bs.it
giving them information and useful contacts. support
Makes in loco visits when possible (especially in
Europe) and helps the offender in the phase of
re-entry in Italy.
Spain: Fudacionmas 34 National Charity http://fundaci
Works with Spanish nationals imprisoned abroad onmas34.org/
and their families in Spain. Uses volunteers que-hacemos/
extensively.
Works particularly with Spanish prisoners in South ayuda@fundac
America ionmas34.org
&
voluntariado@
fundacionmas
34.org

Spain: ‘Movimiento por la Paz’. National Charity mpdl@mpdl.or

Established group working with Spanish g
Consulates and other institutions. Offers advice
and general information to Spanish prisoners
abroad. Advises prisoners on their rights, & http://www.m
provides information on prison transfer pdl.org/mas-
applications, post sentence. informacion/es
pacios-
 19

Can advise and support families in Spain who have mpdl/atencion

family members imprisoned abroad. -detenidos-
espanoles/pro
grama-
atencion-
detenidos-
espanoles#sth
ash.2PTsa8Ie.d
pbs

Spain:’ Asociación Hispano Árabe para el Desarro’, National Charity Asociación

support for Moroccan prisoners; though though Hispano-Árabe
Established by Rachid Ismaili. Asociación Hispano primarily in since 2015 para el
Árabe para el Desarro, focuses on the cultural Madrid receiving Desarrollo y la
interests of the Moroccan community in Madrid. funding Cultura
Since 2015 their volunteers from has been visiting from
Moroccan prisoners in the Madrid V11 prison. Moroccan Contact Rachid
Initially their focus was on music and calligraphy governmen Ismaili
but volunteers have been able to help with t. http://www.ah
translation and more general support where adc.org/index.
appropriate. Also provides information, advice html
and support to families of Moroccan prisoners.

England & Wales: Hibiscus Initiatives; National Charity Hibiscus

Initiatives,
A UK charity working with refugee migrant info@hibiscusi
women serving a custodial sentence, released into nitiatives.org.u
the UK or returned to their home country. k
Specialist knowledge of women prisoners from http://hibiscusi
the Caribbean, West Africa and Eastern Europe. nitiatives.org.u
k/
 20

UK: Prisoners Abroad, UK charity caring for the National Supported info@prisoner
welfare of British citizens held in foreign prisons by UK sabroad.org.uk
Foreign &
Commonw http://www.pr
ealth Office isonersabroad.
and org.uk/
charitable
donations.
Germany: Deutsches Sozialwerch in Frankreich National Charity info@entraide
Works with German nationals imprisoned in -allemande.org
France. www.entraide-
allemande.org

5 Conditions Unless there is a specific concern in individual cases

22. of related to safety and security, foreign prisoners shall
2 imprisonme be allowed to use a language of their choice during
nt; such contacts.
Contact
with
outside
world
5 Conditions Rules for making and receiving telephone calls and
22. of other forms of communication shall be applied
3 imprisonme flexibly to ensure that foreign prisoners who are
nt; communicating with persons abroad have equivalent
Contact access to such forms of communication as other
with prisoners.
outside
world
5 Conditions Indigent foreign prisoners shall be assisted with the
22. of costs of communicating with the outside world.
4 imprisonme
nt;
 21

Contact
with
outside
world
5 Conditions In order to optimise contact, visits to foreign Sweden: Local
22. of prisoners from family members who live abroad shall We offer apartments or rooms for visits inside
5 imprisonme be arranged in a flexible manner, which may include our prisons and we give the foreign prisoners
nt; allowing prisoners to combine their visit priority to use these when needed för family
Contact entitlements. travelling far we also give them extra time.
with
outside
world
5 Conditions Support and information shall be provided to the
22. of extent possible to enable family members who live
6 imprisonme abroad to visit foreign prisoners.
nt;
Contact
with
outside
world
5 Conditions Special measures shall be taken to encourage and
22. of enable foreign prisoners to maintain regular and
7 imprisonme meaningful contact with their children.
nt;
Contact
with
outside
world
5 Conditions Arrangements shall be made to facilitate visits, Sweden: National and Stina.sjodin@k
22. of correspondence and other forms of communication We work hard with the childrens rights to their local riminalvarden.
8 imprisonme by children with their imprisoned parent, in particular parents and always with consideration to what is se
nt; when they live in a different State. the best for the child/children.
 22

Contact
with
outside
world
5 Conditions The authorities shall endeavour to ensure that
22. of foreign prisoners are able to inform family members
9 imprisonme about the prison or other facility in which they are
nt; held or to which they have been transferred.
Contact
with
outside
world
5 Conditions In cases of emergency and where the foreign
22. of prisoner has given prior consent, the prison
10 imprisonme authorities shall endeavour to inform family
nt; members of the death, serious illness or serious
Contact injury of such a prisoner.
with
outside
world
5 Conditions The authorities shall endeavour to keep up-to-date England & Wales: ‘Prison Voice Project’ at Local Initiative No costs to Further
22. of contact details of family members of foreign Huntercombe Prison; agreed prison or Information
11 imprisonme prisoners. 2 initiatives to maintain family contacts, nationally. prisoners. from;
nt; Plans to rollout https://prisonv
Contact (1) using a private provider, Prison Voicemail, to nationally oicemail.com/
with facilitate prisoner’s families leaving ‘Voicemail’ prisons
outside messages’ for foreign prisoners from callers
world abroad. Assist to family contacts being kieran@prison
maintained. voicemail.com

(2) Full-Day visits permitted for families of foreign or contact

prisoners given their especially long, often Mark.James.H
 23

international, journeys to attend. Meals taken atch@hmps.gs

together normalizing visits as far as practical. i.gov.uk

5 Conditions Foreign prisoners shall be allowed to keep

23. of themselves informed regularly of public affairs by
1 imprisonme subscribing to newspapers, periodicals or other
nt; publications in a language they understand.
Contact
with
outside
world
5 Conditions To the extent possible, foreign prisoners shall be
23. of given access to radio or television broadcasts or
2 imprisonme other forms of communication in a language they
nt; understand.
Contact
with
outside
world
5 Conditions Probation agencies, approved associations and
23. of volunteers providing support to foreign prisoners
3 imprisonme shall be given access to such prisoners who wish to
nt; have contact with them.
Contact
with
outside
world
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners have the right to regular contact
24. of with their consular representatives.
1 imprisonme
nt;
 24

Contact
with
consular
representat
ives
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners shall be given reasonable facilities
24. of to communicate with their consular representatives.
2 imprisonme
nt;
Contact
with
consular
representat
ives
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners who are without consular
24. of representation in the country in which they are
3 imprisonme detained have the right to regular contact and to
nt; facilities to communicate with representatives of the
Contact State which takes charge of their interests.
with
consular
representat
ives
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners who are refugees, asylum seekers
24. of or stateless have the right to communicate with
4 imprisonme representatives of the national or international
nt; authorities whose task it is to serve the interests of
Contact such prisoners.
with
consular
representat
ives
 25

5 Conditions Prison authorities shall inform foreign prisoners

25. of about their right to request contact with their
1 imprisonme consular representatives or representatives of
nt; national or international authorities whose task it is
Contact to serve their interests.
with
consular
representat
ives
5 Conditions Prison authorities shall, subject to the prisoner’s
25. of request, inform consular representatives about their
2 imprisonme nationals held in prison.
nt;
Contact
with
consular
representat
ives
5 Conditions Prison authorities shall co-operate fully with consular
25. of representatives and national or international
3 imprisonme authorities whose task is to serve the interests of
nt; foreign prisoners.
Contact
with
consular
representat
ives
5 Conditions Prison authorities shall keep a record of instances
25. of where foreign prisoners waive their right to contact
4 imprisonme their consular representatives and of visits by
nt; consular representatives to foreign prisoners.
 26

Contact
with
consular
representat
ives

5 Conditions In order to ensure equal access to a balanced Belgium: Flemish Prisons; Local Initiative Roselien
26. of programme of activities, prison authorities shall, The information about the activities is given in in Flemish Vermeulen
1 imprisonme where necessary, take specific measures to counter Dutch, French and English. We work with as many Prisons (OO):
nt; the difficulties foreign prisoners may face. images as possible, so that foreign prisoners can Roselien.Verm
Prison understand the information. eulen@cawce
Regime ntraalwestvlaa
nderen.be,
Delphine
Vanhaelemees
ch (BC):
delphine.vanh
aelemeesch@
wvg.vlaandere
n.be
5 Conditions Access to activities shall not be restricted because Belgium: Flemish Prisons; Local Initiative Delphine
26. of the prisoners concerned may be transferred, Activities are open for all prisoners. in Flemish Vanhaelemees
2 imprisonme extradited or expelled. Prisons ch (BC):
nt; delphine.vanh
Prison aelemeesch@
Regime wvg.vlaandere
n.be
Denmark: Prison specific Not Further
2015 Report on Nyborg Prison’s report relevant Information
Departure/Deportation Wards (Units). This report, from Project
in English, looks at the two Departure Sections of Officer Tina
Nyborg Prison which has a capacity of up to 28 Isling, Project
Owner
 27

men. This comprehensive Report includes Annette Esdorf

sections on; or from
1. Management Summary Henrik.Marker
2. Work Activities @kriminalfors
3. Deportation instructions orgen.dk
4. Staff experience with target group
5. Level of conflict
6. Cooperation with Police

5 Conditions Foreign prisoners shall have access, where Belgium: Flemish Prisons; Local Initiative Liesbeth De
27. of appropriate, to suitable work and vocational training, Inside the prison, foreign prisoners have access to in Flemish Wit (OC):
1 imprisonme including programmes outside prison. work and vocational training. Prisons liesbeth.de.wit
nt; @vocvo.be
Work
5 Conditions Where necessary, specific measures shall be taken to
27. of ensure that foreign prisoners have access to
2 imprisonme income-producing work.
nt;
Work
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners may transfer at least a part of their
27. of earnings to family members who are resident
3 imprisonme abroad.
nt;
Work
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners who work and contribute to the Denmark: Prison specific Not Further
27. of social security system of the State in which they are 2015 Report on Nyborg Prison’s report relevant Information
4 imprisonme imprisoned shall be allowed, where possible, to Departure/Deportation Wards (Units). This report, from Project
nt; transfer the benefits of such contributions to their in English, looks at the two Departure Sections of Officer Tina
Work State of nationality or another State. Nyborg Prison which has a capacity of up to 28 Isling, Project
men. This comprehensive Report includes Oowner
sections on; Annette Esdorf
7. Management Summary or from
8. Work Activities
 28

9. Deportation instructions Henrik.Marker

10. Staff experience with target group @kriminalfors
11. Level of conflict orgen.dk
12. Cooperation with Police See
attachment, ‘5
27 4 a Report
on Nyborg
Prison
Denmark 2015’

5 Conditions Exercise and recreational activities shall be arranged

28. of flexibly to enable foreign prisoners to participate in a
1 imprisonme manner that respects their culture.
nt;
Exercise &
recreation
5 Conditions Prison authorities shall encourage activities that Belgium: Ypes Prison; Local Initiative Local Relief Roselien
28. of promote positive relations amongst prisoners from Nobody is excluded for the organised exercises Ypres Prison fund Vermeulen
2 imprisonme the same culture and between prisoners from and activities (except when the Dutch language is (steunfonds (OO):
nt; different backgrounds. needed f.e. in group therapy sessions). ), CDRGA Roselien.Verm
Exercise & Some activities are organised to promote culture eulen@cawce
recreation and different backgrounds. In 2015, we organised ntraalwestvlaa
a ‘multicultural week’. The prisoners were nderen.be,
introduced each day of the week in a different Delphine
culture or region of the world, such as Arabic Vanhaelemees
calligraphy (Middle East), Filigrana (South ch (BC):
America) and Djembe (African). In sports, they delphine.vanh
were introduced to Sepak Takraw (a traditional aelemeesch@
ball game from Asia) and basketball (a typical wvg.vlaandere
North American sport). The food of the prisoners n.be
was adapted to the region of the activity.
5 Conditions To enable foreign prisoners to relate effectively to Belgium: West Flanders; National; CBE Province Liesbeth De
of other prisoners and staff, they shall be given the West- Wit (OC):
 29

29. imprisonme opportunity and be encouraged to learn a language The foreign prisoners are encouraged to learn a Flanders, liesbeth.de.wit
1 nt; that allows them to communicate, and to study local language that allows them to communicate. In CBE, @vocvo.be
Education culture and traditions. prison, there is weekly an open learning centre VOCVO
& training organised by the adult basic education centre
(CENTRUM BASISEDUCATIE). They work individual
and on tempo of the learner. They learn to read,
to write or/and to speak a language. Every month,
a group lesson is organised. Since the beginning of
2016, three courses were especially for foreign
prisoners to learn ‘Dutch in prison’.
Sweden: National Tommy.Nyma
All foreign prisoners can apply for language n@kriminalvar
studies. Swedish Tuition for Immigrants is den.se
advanced language instruction aiming to give
adultimmigrants basic knowledge of the Swedish
language. Students with a mother tongue other
than Swedish should in the education learn and
develop a functioning second language. The
education should provide language tools for
communication and active participation in daily,
societal and working life.
The education also aims at giving adult
immigrants who lack basic reading and
writing skills the opportunity of acquiring such
skills. A student who is not functionally literate,
or has a writing system that differs from the Latin
alphabet, should receive instruction in reading
and writing within the framework of the
education.
The education is intended for persons with
different experiences, life situations, knowledge
and study goals.
 30

The education should be planned and organized

together with students and adapted
to their interests, experiences, all-round
knowledge and long-term goals.
The education should take as its starting point
the needs of the individual, be capable of
combining with employment or other activities
such as orientation to working life, validation,
work practice or other forms of education. It
must be flexibly designed in terms of time, place,
content and working forms to enable students to
take part.
Goal and nature of the education
The goal of Swedish Tuition for Immigrants is that
students should develop:
• their ability to read and write Swedish,
• their ability to speak, discuss, read, listen and
understand Swedish in different contexts,
• good pronunciation,
• their ability to use relevant study aids,
• their ability to adapt the language to different
recipients and situations,
• insights into how a language is learnt, and
• learning and communication strategies for
further language development.
Swedish Tuition for Immigrants aims to provide
students with communicative language skills.
This means being able to communicate, both
orally and in writing, based on their needs.
Students must acquire knowledge and skills of
different kinds to be able to make relevant
 31

language choices in relation to the current

communicative situation. Communicative
language
skills cover different competences that interact
and supplement each other. Communicative
language skills thus presuppose both access to a
language system and knowledge of how this
system is used. Knowledge of the language
system covers words, phrases, pronunciation and
grammatical structures, whilst knowledge about
the use of language deals with how a text is
built up, making choices over functional
language, and adaptation in relation to recipient
and
purpose. An important competence is also being
able to use strategies in the most effective way
to communicate the message.
In Swedish Tuition for Immigrants, students
should develop their awareness of the process of
learning a language and insights into their own
learning. Students should also develop their
intercultural competence by reflecting over their
own cultural experiences, and comparing these
with phenomena in daily, societal and working
life in Sweden.
In Swedish Tuition for Immigrants, students
should develop their competence in using
different
digital tools and aids for information,
communication and learning.

All prisoners can also apply for courses

 32

5 Conditions To ensure that educational and vocational training is Europe: Belgium Lead Foriner Project; European EU funded www.foriner.e
29. of as effective as possible for foreign prisoners, prison EU Funded Project to study innovative methods of project u
2 imprisonme authorities shall take account of their individual distance learning for European Prisoners in under
nt; needs and aspirations, which may include working European prisons, looking especially at IT lead Erasmus + foriner@vovco
Education towards qualifications that are recognised and can be initiatives. Programme .be
& training continued in the country in which they are likely to
reside after release.
5 Conditions The prison library shall be stocked as far as possible Belgium: Local Initiative Province Luc
29. of with reading materials and other resources that In the prison library, the collection contains books Ypres Prison West- Vermeersch
3 imprisonme reflect the linguistic needs and cultural preferences in foreign languages (narratives but also Flanders & (Bib):
nt; of the foreign prisoners in that prison and are easily textbooks). The prisoners can also loan books city Ypres vermeerschco
Education accessible. from the city library, where the collection is wider. nix@hotmail.c
& training om
Tine Van
Laeken (CF):
tine.vanlaeken
@derodeantra
ciet.be

Sweden: National and Lars.hakan.nils

All prisons and remand prisons have a library with local son@kriminalv
a wide range of literature and also possible to arden.se
order literature in the language that is needed.
5 Conditions Prisoners shall have the right to exercise or change Romania: Bucharest Jilava Prison; Local, From andreea.cana
30. of their religion or belief and shall be protected from The prison was arranged in a multi-confessional Bucharest prison @anp.gov.ro
1 imprisonme any compulsion in this respect. room, where prisoners can get out on demand, Jilava Prison budget
nt; according to a schedule for spiritual activities /
Freedom of spiritual meditation.
religion or
belief
Sweden: National
 33

All prisoners in th SPPS have the same right to

healthcare and we do not make differences
between FNP´s or Swedish prisoners.
5 Conditions Prison authorities shall, as far as practicable, grant
30. of foreign prisoners access to approved representatives
2 imprisonme of their religion or belief.
nt;
Freedom of
religion or
belief
5 Conditions Foreign prisoners shall have access to the same Belgium: Immigration Service; National National Geert
31. of health care and treatment programmes that are All their immigration detention centres are budget Verbauwhede
1 imprisonme available to other prisoners. equipped with a Medical Unit. One or more (Immigratio –
nt; colleague General Practitioners comes to the n) geert.verbauw
Health centre regularly, to have consultations open to hede@ibz.fgov
each resident. There are also nurses and a .be + Louise
psychologist. In some centres, there is also a N’Gandu –
psychological assistant. louise.ngandu
@ibz.fgov.be
5 Conditions Sufficient resources shall be provided to deal with Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
31. of specific health problems which may be faced by When a specific health problem seems to be the budget Verbauwhede
2 imprisonme foreign prisoners. case, then the general practitioner refers his (Immigratio –
nt; patient to a specialist in a hospital or to a private n) geert.verbauw
Health specialist. Afterwards, he/she can either start an hede@ibz.fgov
adapted treatment for his patient in the centre, .be + Louise
and/or he/she can decide that there’s one or N’Gandu –
more follow-up specialist appointments needed. louise.ngandu
@ibz.fgov.be
5 Conditions Medical and health care staff working in prisons shall Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
31. of be enabled to deal with specific problems and All medical and health care staff are offered budget Verbauwhede
imprisonme diseases which may be encountered by foreign specific training. (Immigratio –
nt; prisoners. n) geert.verbauw
Health hede@ibz.fgov
 34

.be + Louise
N’Gandu –
louise.ngandu
@ibz.fgov.be
5 Conditions To facilitate the health care of foreign prisoners, Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
31. of attention shall be paid to all aspects of Preference is to use professional interpreters, budget Verbauwhede
4 imprisonme communication. Such communication may require although there’s not always the ability to do so. (Immigratio –
nt; the use of an interpreter who is acceptable to the n) geert.verbauw
Health prisoner concerned and who shall respect medical hede@ibz.fgov
confidentiality. .be + Louise
N’Gandu –
louise.ngandu
@ibz.fgov.be
5 Conditions Health care shall be provided in a way that is not Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
31. of offensive to cultural sensitivities and requests by In the few centres where there’s female foreign budget Verbauwhede
5 imprisonme foreign prisoners to be examined by a medical prisoners, we try to have at least one female (Immigratio –
nt; practitioner of the same gender shall be granted as general practitioner. n) geert.verbauw
Health far as possible. hede@ibz.fgov
.be + Louise
N’Gandu –
louise.ngandu
@ibz.fgov.be
5 Conditions Where possible, psychiatric and mental health care Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
31. of shall be provided by specialists who have expertise in Our mental health care providers in the centre budget Verbauwhede
6 imprisonme dealing with persons from different religious, cultural are offered different trainings in intercultural (Immigratio –
nt; and linguistic backgrounds. counselling, culture specific psychosis etc. n) geert.verbauw
Health hede@ibz.fgov
.be + Louise
N’Gandu –
louise.ngandu
@ibz.fgov.be
5 Conditions Attention shall be paid to preventing self-harm and Belgium: Immigration Detention Centre; National National Geert
of suicide among foreign prisoners. budget Verbauwhede
 35

31. imprisonme Our staff knows how to observe specific (Immigratio –

7 nt; symptoms of self-harming or suicidal behaviour. n) geert.verbauw
Health Once they observe this, and after multidisciplinary hede@ibz.fgov
discussion, this person gets labelled ‘Extra Care’. .be + Louise
There’s also special information sheets to inform N’Gandu –
staff how to deal with this specific problems. louise.ngandu
Evidently, these persons are followed up by the @ibz.fgov.be
psychological assistant and/or the psychologist
and/or the general practitioner.
5 Conditions Consideration shall be given to the transfer of foreign Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
31. of prisoners, who are diagnosed with terminal illnesses This is taken in consideration (see also special budget Verbauwhede
8 imprisonme and who wish to be transferred, to a country with needs and extra care – supra  preamble) (Immigratio –
nt; which they have close social links. n) geert.verbauw
Health hede@ibz.fgov
.be + Louise
N’Gandu –
louise.ngandu
@ibz.fgov.be
5 Conditions Steps shall be taken to facilitate the continuation of Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
31. of medical treatment of foreign prisoners who are to be The continuation of treatment is normally budget Verbauwhede
9 imprisonme transferred, extradited or expelled, which may foreseen for those residents that are indicated as (Immigratio –
nt; include the provision of medication for use during ‘vulnerable’ by the mental health care staff and n) geert.verbauw
Health transportation to that State and, with the prisoners’ the medical staff. hede@ibz.fgov
consent, the transfer of medical records to the .be + Louise
medical services of another State. N’Gandu –
louise.ngandu
@ibz.fgov.be
5 Conditions Prison staff shall ensure that good order, safety and
32. of security are maintained through a process of
1 imprisonme dynamic security and interaction with foreign
nt; prisoners.
Good
order,
 36

safety &
security
5 Conditions Prison staff shall be alert to potential or actual
32. of conflicts between groups within the prison
2 imprisonme population that may arise due to cultural or religious
nt; differences and inter-ethnic tensions
Good
order,
safety &
security
5 Conditions To ensure safety in prison, every effort shall be made
32. of to enhance mutual respect and tolerance and
3 imprisonme prevent conflict between prisoners, prison staff or
nt; other persons working or visiting the prison, who
Good come from different backgrounds.
order,
safety &
security
5 Conditions The nationality, culture or religion of a prisoner shall
32. of not be the determinative factors in the assessment of
4 imprisonme the risk to safety and security posed by such prisoner.
nt;
Good
order,
safety &
security
5 Conditions Special measures shall be taken to combat the Croatia: example from Croatian Penitentiary in Local Local See
33. of isolation of foreign women prisoners. Požega, Department for Women; initiative. attachment; ‘5
1 imprisonme Example of a Slovakia prisoner in a Croatian Prison 33 1 a Croatia
nt; of the issues she faced and how the institution Not Foreign
Women addressed them. available Women
Prisoners 2016
 37

5 Conditions Attention shall be paid to meeting the psychological

33. of and healthcare needs of foreign women prisoners,
2 imprisonme especially those who have children
nt;
Women

5 Conditions Arrangements and facilities for pre-natal and post-

33. of natal care shall respect cultural and religious
3 imprisonme diversity.
nt;
Women

5 Conditions When deciding whether it would be in the best

34. of interests of an infant child of a foreign prisoner to be
1 imprisonme kept in prison, particular consideration shall be given
nt; to:
Infant
children a. the conditions in which the child would be held in
prison;

b. the conditions that would apply if the child is kept

outside prison; and

c. the views of the legal guardians of the child.

5 Conditions Arrangements and facilities for the care of infant
34. of children who are in prison with their parent shall
2 imprisonme respect cultural and religious diversity.
nt;
Infant
children

5 Conditions The legal status of any infant children in prison with

of their foreign parent shall be determined as early as
 38

34. imprisonme possible during the sentence of that parent, with

3 nt; special care being taken to resolve cases where
Infant children born in prison have a different nationality to
children that of their parent.

6 Release; Preparation for release of foreign prisoners shall start England & Wales: National Discretiona www.
35. Preparation in good time and in a manner, that facilitates their NOMS commissioned a community migrant Initiative; ry https://www.tr
1 for release reintegration into society. organisation to design & maintain an electronic NOMS project implement acks.uk.net/
resettlement toolkit, called “‘Tracks’, a resource centrally ation.
for the resettlement of foreign prisoners (FP)”. It commissioned NOMS link;
is designed to help FPs as well as prison, Developme Adrian.Chen@
probation and other professionals working with nt & noms.gsi.gov.u
foreign prisoners to plan for resettlement upon maintenanc k
release either in the UK or on prison transfer or e costs
expulsion abroad. It contains information in a from NOMS
variety of languages, on the immigration process, centre.
resettlement options as well as country specific
information packs. ’Tracks’ is designed so that FPs
know what may happen to them and what they
can do themselves to plan for and improve their
resettlement options on sentence completion.
England & Wales: National National Irene Hall,
Home Office Immigration Enforcement (HOIE) policy Home Office
Prison Operational Removal Team (PORT) staff are Immigration
based in the two Foreign National-Only ‘Hub Cost and
prisons’, and for parts of the week in ‘Spoke savings Enforcemnet
prisons’, where Foreign National Offenders (FNO) having Group.
are held, to work with offender management and PORT staff Contact via
the FNOs in order to explain processes, try and present in Wilkinson,
give reassurances, and act as the conduit between the hub Graham
the CC case owner and the FNO. The two FNO and spoke [HMPPS]
prisons are in the process at looking at what prisons Graham.Wilkin
effective resettlement plans can be put in place
 39

for their populations, including looking at skill son3@noms.g

gaps back in their home countries etc. si.gov.uk

Norway: Specific to Pilot Kristin Opaas

Pilot Project for foreign inmates in Kongsvinger Kongsvinger Project at Haugli,
(Foreign prisoner only) prison from 2016 – (Foreign Kongsvinge Reintegration
‘Planning For Resettlement’.. National-only) r Prison coordinator /
Background to project initiation; Prison Adviser
• The law is for everyone: Cost not PowerPoint
what can be done for foreign inmates? known summary
• A need for services aimed specifically at available.
foreign inmates. Is there something we
already have? Furthur
• Work as a” return adviser” in 2015 caused information:
the further development of an idea Ploeg Gerhard
• A need for an increased activity-level at (KDI)
Kongsvinger prison, supported by the Gerhard.Ploeg
management @kriminaloms
• It needs to be about reintegration org.no

The Pilot Project’s goal was ‘To provide foreign See

inmates with further knowledge, insight and tools attachment ‘5
that can contribute to a better reintegration, 33 1 a Norway
independent of the destination after release’. Prison Pilot
Project 2016’
• Target group – foreign inmates
• Criteria for participation in the pilot
project:
– Inmate does not participate in
work, education or any other
activity
 40

– A remaining sentence duration of

at least two weeks from starting
the group
– Basic knowledge of the English
language

The selection criteria were expanded to also

include those who were active in work or
education but wanted to participate after hearing
from others about the groups. The groups of 3 to
four prisoners ran for 10 sessions, were run in
English and comprised groups of multi-national
prisoners.

Romania: National No andreea.cana

Program initiation in the Romanian language and additional @anp.gov.ro
cultural orientation. The program is sustained financial
over a period for 3 months by educator in resources
Romanian language required
6 Release; In order to facilitate the reintegration of foreign Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
35. Preparation prisoners into society: See also above under 5.15.1 (admission) budget Verbauwhede
2 for release (Immigratio
a. their legal status and their situation after release n) geert.verbauw
shall be determined as early as possible during their hede@ibz.fgov
sentence; .be

b. where appropriate, prison leave and other forms Maryvonne

of temporary release shall be granted to them; and Jacquemin –
maryvonne.jac
c. they shall be assisted in making or re-establishing quemin@ibz.fg
contact with family, friends and relevant support ov.be
agencies.
 41

c. International: Red Cross/Red Crescent International No budget Contact the

required Red Cross or
The worldwide Family Links Network of the (exceptiona Red Crescent
International Red Cross and Red Crescent lly postal National
Movement, which includes the International fees) Society –
Committee of the Red Cross (hereafter ICRC) as Department
well as Red Cross and Red Crescent National for Restoring
Societies (hereafter National Societies), has Family Link
longstanding experience and expertise in restoring (RFL), or ICRC
family links between family members separated Delegation
(because, for instance, of conflict or migration).
Practically, the National Societies or ICRC All available
Delegation in one country can help people to international
restore and maintain contact with family members contacts can
in another country through, for instance, the use of be found at:
Red Cross messages. They can also help detainees https://familyli
to look for family members with whom they have nks.icrc.org
lost contact and whose whereabouts are unknown.

Examples: a) a foreign prisoner cannot call his/her

family because in his/her country of origin normal
means of communication (telephone lines, postal
system, etc.) are disrupted or unavailable. The
prison authorities can ask the National Society to
send a volunteer to the prison who will take a Red
Cross message which will be distributed to the
family in the country of origin through the National
Society there or the ICRC Delegation; b) a foreign
prisoner has lost contact with family members and
does not know where they are (reasons can be
multiple, migration, conflict, disasters, etc.). The
prison authorities can aks the National Society to
send a volunteer to take a tracing request. Such
 42

request will enable the National Society to start a

search of the relative sought in cooperation with
other National Societies or ICRC Delegations. For
more information: https://familylinks.icrc.org

Furthermore, the National Societies can also help

collecting and transmitting official administrative
documents which will be transmitted to the foreign
prisoner for the latter to exercise his rights (ex.
birth certificates, divorce papers, inheritance
documents, power of attorney, etc.).
6 Release; Where foreign prisoners are to remain in the State in
35. Preparation which they were held after release, they shall be
3 for release provided with support and care by prison, probation
or other agencies which specialise in assisting
prisoners.
6 Release; Where foreign prisoners are to be expelled from the Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Verbauwhede
35. Preparation State in which they are being held, efforts shall be See also above under 5.15.1 (admission) budget –
4 for release made, if the prisoners consent, to contact the (Immigratio geert.verbauw
authorities in the State to which they are to be sent n) hede@ibz.fgov
with a view to ensuring support both immediately .be +
upon their return and to facilitate their reintegration Maryvonne
into society. Jacquemin –
maryvonne.jac
quemin@ibz.fg
ov.be
Norway: Further
‘Safe Way Home’ is a Salvation Army chaplaincy information
programme in Norway. It receives funding from from
the Norwegian government, has an agreement http://www.fr
with the Immigration Police and uses it’s elsesarmeen.n
international network of volunteers in 120 o/
 43

countries to support prisoners after release and or Norwegian

deportation to their home country. lead
Yury.Zelentsov
@frelsesarme
en.no
6 Release; In order to facilitate continuity of treatment and care
35. Preparation where foreign prisoners are to be transferred to
5 for release another State to serve the remainder of their
sentence, the competent authorities shall, if the
prisoner consents, provide the following information
to the State to which the prisoners shall be sent:

a. the treatment the prisoners have received;

b. the programmes and activities in which they have

participated;

c. medical records; and

d. any other information that will facilitate continuity

of treatment and care
6 Release; Where foreign prisoners may be transferred to Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
35. Preparation another State, they shall be assisted in seeking See also above under 5.15.1 (admission) budget Verbauwhede
6 for release independent advice about the consequences of such Furthermore, detainees can always take contact (Immigratio –
a transfer with immigration office staff members to get n) geert.verbauw
more information about the organization of their hede@ibz.fgov
return (they get the telephone numbers of the .be +
responsible staff members for the prison where Maryvonne
they are incarcerated). Jacquemin –
maryvonne.jac
quemin@ibz.fg
ov.be
 44

6 Release; Where foreign prisoners are to be transferred to

35. Preparation another State to serve the remainder of their
7 for release sentence, the authorities of the receiving State shall
provide the prisoners with information on conditions
of imprisonment, prison regimes and possibilities for
release.
6 Release; Foreign prisoners, like other prisoners, shall be
36. Considerati considered for early release as soon as they are
1 on for early eligible and shall not be discriminated against in this
release respect.

6 Release; In particular, steps shall be taken to ensure that Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
36. Considerati detention is not unduly prolonged by delays relating See also above under 5.15.1 (admission)  budget Verbauwhede
2 on for early to the finalisation of the immigration status of the persons who are cooperating to the organization (Immigratio –
release foreign prisoner. of their return can be released earlier (“Tribunal n) geert.verbauw
d’Application des Peines”) after Judgment or even hede@ibz.fgov
up to six months before they are in the conditions .be +
for early release / end of sentence. If possible a Maryvonne
transfer to an immigration detention centre shall Jacquemin –
be avoided and a direct transfer from prison to maryvonne.jac
the country of origin shall be organized. In order quemin@ibz.fg
to facilitate identification (and the obtaining of ov.be
travel documents) a videoconferencing pilot
project has been started (in two prisons and in the
detention centres), so that consular officers can
interview the detainees without a necessity to go
to the prison.
6 Release; In order to assist foreign prisoners to return to
37. Release society after release, practical measures shall be
1 from prison taken to provide appropriate documents and
identification papers and assistance with travel.
 45

6 Release; Where foreign prisoners will return to a country with Belgium: Immigration Detention Centres; National National Geert
37. Release which they have links and, if the prisoner consents, See also 6.36.2. budget Verbauwhede
2 from prison the consular representatives shall assist them where According to Vienna Convention on Consular (Immigratio –
possible in this regard. Affairs, the Consular staff can always visit the n) geert.verbauw
detainees (on request of the detainee or own hede@ibz.fgov
initiative, provided that the detainee is willing to .be +
speak to the consular officer). Maryvonne
Immigration Office can facilitate the contacts if Jacquemin –
wanted. maryvonne.jac
quemin@ibz.fg
ov.be
7 Persons Persons who work with foreign prisoners shall be
38. who work selected on criteria that include cultural sensitivity,
0 with interaction skills and linguistic abilities.
foreign
prisoners;
Selection
7 Persons Staff involved in the admission of foreign prisoners England & Wales: National Implement Chapman,
39. who work shall be appropriately trained to deal with them. Electronic ‘E-learning’ has been developed and ed Brian [HMPPS]
1 with rolled out nationally as a first stage 'over view' of regionally. Brian.Chapma
foreign the needs of Foreign National Offenders. When n@noms.gsi.g
prisoners; completed, this is further developed through No ov.uk
Training ‘class room' training for staff to enable then to budgetary
have a greater depth of understanding of the impact
needs of this group of offenders. assessment
7 Persons Persons who work with foreign prisoners shall be Denmark: Further
39. who work trained to respect cultural diversity and to 2015 Report on Nyborg Prison’s Information
2 with understand the particular problems faced by such Departure/Deportation Wards (Units). This report, from Project
foreign prisoners. in English, looks at the two Departure Sections of Officer Tina
prisoners; Nyborg Prison which has a capacity of up to 28 Isling, Project
Training men. This comprehensive Report includes Oowner
sections on; Annette Esdorf
13. Management Summary or from
 46

14. Work Activities Henrik.Marker

15. Deportation instructions @kriminalfors
16. Staff experience with target group orgen.dk
17. Level of conflict
18. Cooperation with Police

7 Persons Such training may include learning languages spoken

39. who work most often by foreign prisoners.
3 with
foreign
prisoners;
Training
7 Persons Training programmes shall be evaluated and revised
39. who work regularly to ensure they reflect changing populations
4 with and social circumstances.
foreign
prisoners;
Training
7 Persons Persons who deal with foreign suspects and
39. who work offenders shall be kept informed of current national
5 with law and practices and international and regional
foreign human rights law and standards relating to their
prisoners; treatment, including this recommendation.
Training

7 Persons Appropriately trained specialists shall be appointed

40. who work to engage in work with foreign prisoners and to liaise
0 with with the relevant agencies, professionals and
foreign associations on matters related to such prisoners.
prisoners;
Specialisati
on
 47

8 Policy The authorities shall regularly evaluate their policies Denmark: Prison specific Not Further
41. Evaluation for dealing with foreign suspects and offenders on 2015 Report on Nyborg Prison’s report relevant Information
0 the basis of scientifically validated research and Departure/Deportation Wards (Units). This report, from Project
revise them where appropriate. in English, looks at the two Departure Sections of Officer Tina
Nyborg Prison which has a capacity of up to 28 Isling, Project
men. This comprehensive Report includes Oowner
sections on; Annette Esdorf
19. Management Summary or from
20. Work Activities Henrik.Marker
21. Deportation instructions @kriminalfors
22. Staff experience with target group orgen.dk
23. Level of conflict
24. Cooperation with Police

England & Wales: Local to HMP Not Further

The St Giles Trust, a charity, is evaluating the Huntercombe applicable Information
impact of their first foreign national ‘Peer Advisor though may be from The St
Scheme’ at HMP Huntercombe, a foreign rolled-out Giles Trust
national-only prison. Serving prisoners are trained nationally.
to become qualified advice workers, able to or
provide immigration and resettlement advice to Martin.James.
their fellow prisoners. The programme is in its Hatch@hmps.
second year and the results of the evaluation will gsi.gov.uk
be of interest to those shaping resettlement
services for foreign prisoners in other prisons. tHe
St Giles Trust won the Robin Corbett Award for
Prisoner Rehabilitation for its work at HMP
Huntercombe.

Release Legal expert Belgium: Noorderkempen Regional Prisons; Local Initiative Member of www.cawdeke
preparation (4 prisons non-profit mpen.be
organizatio
 48

/imprisonm Legal advice and assistance for social workers and Noorderkemp n CAW De
ent prisoners concerning residency status, expulsion en) Kempen
and (voluntary) repatriation.