UNODC Tools and Publications

Find out more about UNODC's work on prison and penal reform

UNODC works with over 50 Member States around the world to reduce the scope of imprisonment, strengthen prison management and improve prison conditions, and foster the social reintegration prospects of offenders.

Find out more

United Nations Standards and Norms

The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, German, Sinhala, Tamil, Dhivehi, Tagalog, Ukrainian
The United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (The Bangkok Rules) English, French, Spanish
The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (The Tokyo Rules) English, French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese
The United Nations Model Strategies on Reducing Reoffending (The Kyoto Model Strategies) English

United Nations guidance documents related to incarceration

UN Common Position on Incarceration English

UNODC technical guidance material on prison and penal reform

Alternatives to imprisonment

Handbook of basic principles and promising practices on Alternatives to Imprisonment English, French, Spanish , Turkish
Toolkit on Gender-Responsive Non-Custodial Measures English, Spanish , Thai
Handbook on restorative justice programmes (second edition) English, Korean, Portuguese, Czech, French, Thai
Treatment and Care for People with Drug Use Disorders in Contact with Criminal Justice System- Alternatives to Conviction or Punishment Arabic, English, French, Russian, Spanish

Prison management

Toolkit on the Nelson Mandela Rules

UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, German, Sinhala, Tamil, Dhivehi, Tagalog
Brochure on the The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) English Spanish, Russian, Arabic, French, Sinhala, Tamil, Ukrainian
Instructional Placards on the Nelson Mandela Rules Arabic, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Assessing compliance with the Nelson Mandela Rules: A checklist for internal inspection mechanisms English, Spanish, Arabic, French, Russian, German, Thai
Scenario-based e-learning course on the Nelson Mandela Rules Arabic, Bangla, English, French, German, Indonesian, Kazakh, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
Incorporating the Nelson Mandela Rules into National Prison Legislation Arabic, English, French, Russian, Spanish

Prison management strategies and core practices

Handbook on Strategies to Reduce Overcrowding in Prisons English, Arabic, Indonesian, Spanish, French
Handbook for Prison Leaders Arabic, English, French
Handbook on the Classification of Prisoners English, Spanish, Russian, French, Arabic
Handbook on Dynamic Security and Prison Intelligence English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Russian
Handbook on Prisoner File Management English, French, Arabic
Handbook on Anti-Corruption Measures in Prisons English

Special categories of prisoners

Handbook on Women and Imprisonment English 2nd edition, Arabic 2nd edition, Russian, Turkish, Spanish
Training Curriculum on Women and Imprisonment English, Albanian, Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Serbian
Handbook on Prisoners With Special Needs, Arabic, English, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian
Handbook on the Management of High-Risk Prisoners English, Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian
Handbook on the Management of Violent Extremist Prisoners and the Prevention of Radicalization to Violence in Prisons English, Arabic, French, Russian, German
Summary of Key Principles and Recommendations of the Handbook on Violent Extremist Prisoners English, Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish, German

Prison health

HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, Treatment and Support in Prison Settings - a framework for an effective national response English

Rehabilitation and social reintegration

Introductory Handbook on the Prevention of Recidivism and the Social Reintegration of Offenders English (updated), Spanish, Russian (updated) , Arabic (updated), French (updated)
UNODC Roadmap for the Development of Prison-based Rehabilitation Programmes English, Spanish, Arabic, French, Russian
Creating a Brand of Prison Products English, Spanish, Russian, French, Arabic

UNODC guidance notes on prison and penal reform

COVID-19 Guidance Note: Emergency Releases of Prisoners English, French, Spanish
COVID-19 Guidance Note: Infection Prevention and Control Measures in Prisons English, French, Spanish
UNODC Position Paper on COVID-19 Preparedness and Responses in Prisons English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese
A Prison Evaluation Checklist for Post-Conflict Settings English
Information Note for Criminal Justice Practitioners on Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders English

United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime

Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Reform Resources

Prison reform and alternatives to imprisonment