The pandemic was a stark, global reminder that conditions of imprisonment have a profound impact not only on incarcerated people, prison staff and their respective families, but also wider public health. The unprecedented scale rendered many mechanisms that constituted the “old normal” unsustainable. There was urgent need to rethink all aspects of incarceration and implement change.
At national level, positive action was sometimes taken immediately, including reducing prison populations and integrating prison systems in the COVID-19 response.
Around the world, and with one common goal, action was mounted by states, correctional authorities, civil society and international organizations, who shared information, and material and technical support. Change was possible, focused around mutual interest.
And now? More than two years on, many prison systems retain exceptional measures to contain the virus that bear a heavy price: restrictive regimes, reduction in family contact, and lack of interaction between staff and detainees. This has added another layer of despair to crises which predated COVID-19’s arrival in prison: lack of space, food and healthcare; crumbling infrastructure; staff shortages; climate change; conflict; economic downturn. None of these has disappeared.
The “new normal” risks being equally unsustainable and urgent action is still needed.
Building on ICRC experience of visiting detainees and supporting prison and health authorities in over 70 contexts, the keynote will consider whether the experience of the pandemic can still be a catalyst for radical and sustainable change and if so, how.
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Terry Hackett
Senior Associate/Co-founder and Principal, International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy (ICCLR)/ Praesora Consulting
Terry Hackett assumed the post of Head of the Persons Deprived of Liberty Unit for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva in February 2022. Terry joined the ICRC in 2018 as a Prison System Adviser following a 22-year career with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) where he began his career as a Correctional Officer and retired as the as the Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Correctional Operations (Pacific). During his tenure with CSC, Terry held various positions including Director of Operations (Pacific) and Warden of several federal institutions.
Terry holds a Masters of Arts in Human Security and Peacebuilding from Royal Roads University (RRU) with a focus on rule of law and post-conflict correctional reform, as well as a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Trinity Western University. He is currently completing his Masters of Advanced Studies in International Law in Armed Conflict from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
