Speakers
Parallel Workshops
Detention systems across many parts of the world are increasingly facing crises linked to conflict, epidemics, overcrowding, climate-related emergencies, and institutional fragility. In such environments, emergency responses are often necessary, but experience shows they can either unintentionally weaken institutions or help strengthen systems over time.
This panel discussion will explore how effective partnerships between prison authorities, humanitarian actors, and other stakeholders can support responses that are both immediate and sustainable. Particular attention will be given to the practical conditions that help humanitarian engagement remain effective during crises, including context analysis, multidisciplinary approaches, operational dialogue, and maintaining professional engagement with authorities around sensitive humanitarian concerns.
The session will reflect on how emergency interventions can respond to urgent humanitarian needs while also supporting prison systems to better cope with future pressures, without substituting state responsibility. Discussions will draw on operational experiences from detention environments affected by conflict, epidemics, overcrowding, and other crises, with a focus on partnerships, resilience, and humane treatment for people deprived of liberty.
Robert Hollander has over 30 years of professional experience in prison systems, detention management, and criminal justice, working in both domestic and conflict-affected contexts. He currently serves as Global Detention Systems Adviser within the People Deprived of Liberty Unit at the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva.
Since joining the ICRC more than 10 years ago, he has supported detention-related activities in prisons, police, military, and migration detention environments across Lebanon, the Gulf region, Yemen, Jordan, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Before joining the ICRC, Robert worked for two decades with the Dutch Custodial Agency in various correctional functions, focusing on prison operations, detention management, and institutional practice.
Throughout his career, his work has centred on bridging policy, international detention standards, and field realities, with particular attention to detention systems operating under pressure, including in fragile and conflict-affected environments. He has overseen and supported multidisciplinary detention programs covering prison management, infrastructure, hygiene and living conditions, and engagement with authorities on practical detention-related challenges.
Robert’s professional background includes studies in mental health and forensic psychiatry, which continue to inform his perspective on detention systems and the treatment and wellbeing of people deprived of liberty.