Prison Reform

PRISON REFORM

Committee Co-Chairs: Megan LeMay and Amy Sapowadia

All over the world prisons are violating standards for sanitation and human rights. Prisoners are being held in dirty, overcrowded facilities while being fed mere scraps. "Prisons are referred to as a reservoir of diseases, as there is a more likely chance prisoners will contract psychiatric disorders, HIV infection, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted diseases, and skin diseases.” When they're released, prisoners are ill-adapted to become functioning members of society and as a result relapse back to their criminal ways (known as recidivism). They struggle to find employment due to their lack of human capital, and are unaware of the resources which are available to better their lives. "The UN Development Programme concluded that youth violence is more than a security concern. It is a major human development problem.”

The United Nations Office of Drug and Health has set standards for prison reform, but there is still much progress to be made. We have to work together in order to improve conditions in prisons and make inmates better off when they get released. Prisoners may have made bad decisions in the past, but they're still humans and they can learn from their mistakes. By positively changing prison systems we can improve lives and benefit society as a whole.

Questions to keep in mind

• How can the UN encourage prison reform and address violations to the international standards of human rights?
• How can the international community address over-crowding and unsanitary conditions in prisons both at home and abroad