Developing Prison Standards Compared

Abstract

This article argues that the two most developed sets of international custodial standards are those of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment (CPT) in Europe and of the American Correctional Association (ACA) in North America. It examines the different origins of each set of standards and the different methods by which they are applied. It points out that the ACA standards have been largely practitioner driven whereas those of the CPT have the explicit aim of enhancing human rights. An important feature of both sets of standards is that they are dynamic rather than static and that they have achieved a high degree of credibility with practitioners and the judiciary alike.