Penal Reform International
global · founded 1989 · HQ United Kingdom
Independent non-governmental organisation working on criminal justice reform worldwide.
Founded in 1989, PRI promotes fair and effective responses to crime, including the reduction of imprisonment, abolition of the death penalty, prevention of torture, and respect for human rights in detention. It publishes the annual Global Prison Trends report and maintains regional offices across Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, South Caucasus, Central Asia, South Asia, and Latin America.
Focus areas
Reports published by PRI
PRI's flagship annual report on the state of the world's prisons. Documents continued global prison-population growth (~11.5 million worldwide), severe overcrowding affecting more than 60% of national systems, and the criminalisation of poverty as a major driver. Spotlights the disproportionate incarceration of women, the persistence of pre-trial detention without trial, and the rise of mass life-without-parole sentences as an alternative to the death penalty in retentionist states.
Argues that 'tough-on-crime' policies have produced record incarceration levels with no measurable safety gains. Documents the consequences for women, children of imprisoned parents, and people with mental health needs.