2025 is a significant anniversary for the international corrections community, as it marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners () and the 15th anniversary of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders () by the UN General Assembly.
The so-called , in particular, constitute the universally recognized blueprint for prison management and the treatment of prisoners and serve as a key benchmark for prison and correctional systems worldwide. The principles, detailed guidance and safeguards set out in the Nelson Mandela Rules ensure safe, secure and rehabilitative prison environments where respect, humanity, dignity and well-being is preserved under all circumstances.
Importantly, the Rules remind us that the ultimate purposes of a prison sentence can only be achieved if the period of incarceration is used, to the maximum extent possible, to support both the willingness and ability of prisoners to successfully reintegrate into their communities upon release.
In recognition of this milestone anniversary, the International Corrections and Prisons Association’s (ICPA) 2025 Annual Conference, Wellbeing in Corrections: Initiatives for Staff, Systems, and Communities, invites submissions on this theme from a diverse range of voices, including academics, practitioners, international organizations, NGOs, innovators, and those with lived experience.
Correctional administrators have come to recognise that the practical application of the Nelson Mandela Rules and efforts aimed at maintaining the safety and wellbeing of staff and the people we manage is critical to achieving good community safety, rehabilitation and social reintegration outcomes. By centering rehabilitation around safety and wellbeing, the focus shifts from merely addressing deficits to amplifying the positive dimensions of human life, including a sense of autonomy and self-direction, validation, active community participation, and meaningful connections.
Safety and well-being must be understood and addressed at both the individual and system levels, recognising the interplay between personal experiences and broader systemic structures. At the individual level, safety and well-being focus on the psychological, physical, social and cultural needs of each person. At the system level, it requires the creation of policies, practices and cultures that promote safe and supportive environments.
This involves individualized and evidence-based programming, trauma-informed care, procedural fairness, restorative justice practices, good design, cultural safety and an adherence to fundamental safeguards to prevent harm and prevent ill-treatment under any circumstances whatsoever.
ICPA2025 aims to foster a dynamic exchange of ideas, focusing on practical and research-based solutions to improve wellbeing within the corrections environment and to streamline a renewed commitment to the practical application of the Nelson Mandela Rules.
Presentations will address, inter alia, challenges and innovations across staff welfare, systemic reforms and the alignment of prison management with international minimum standards, and the integration of correctional communities into a holistic approach to the treatment of offenders, including transitions to, and management of, community-based orders.