UNESCO Courier articles from June 1998

UNESCO Courier archives from June 1998

An institution on trial. (penal systems)(includes related article on issue of penal systems)
June 1, 1998... Prison causes more ethical, social, psychological and economic problems than it solves. What can be done to improve the penal system? In the late twentieth century, an age of supposedly scientific penology, humanity has far to go before it...

A prisoner's testimony. (former prisoner becomes a student and writer)
June 1, 1998... After long years in gaol a man becomes a student and a writer It is hard to talk about prison without losing your cool. And if you do, you risk getting caught up in a confrontation with the supporters or opponents of a system that, although...

Alternatives to jail.
June 1, 1998... The application of non-custodial sentences should be encouraged wherever possible Despite efforts to improve the quality of inmates' lives, in most countries prison is still by and large a place of exclusion and segregation, synonymous with...

Invisible chains. (Sweden tests electronic tagging project for convicts)
June 1, 1998... Sweden's electronic tagging project Imprisonment is the most expensive form of punishment in modern society. In Sweden, the upkeep of an inmate in an open prison costs approximately 1,500 kroner ($200 or [pounds]120) a day, and around 2,000...

From revenge to reparation. (penal laws)
June 1, 1998... Penal policy takes a new direction by confronting offenders with the consequences of their acts and giving them a chance to make amends Over the past few decades, more attention has been focused on the victims of crime than on criminals. This...

Prisons for profit.
June 1, 1998... In the modern era, it has only been since the 1980s that private, for-profit corporations have sought to operate entire prison systems(1). The private sector has long been involved in running various components of prison systems such as catering,...

Offenders' rights. (democratic penal policy)
June 1, 1998... The defence of prisoners' rights is the foundation of democratic penal policy Incarcerated persons are still commonly viewed simply as prisoners, and the deprivation of their freedom as merely the prelude to a series of other ordeals. However,...

The changing role of prison staff.
June 1, 1998... The role of the prison service has changed. It is no longer simply concerned with keeping prisoners under lock and key. It seeks to equip them to return to live in society. Correctional facilities have become an important social tool. They...

The hard way back. (former prisoner describes adjustment to civilian life)
June 1, 1998... After eight years and four months in custody, I was released on parole two years ago. At the end of the day, a prisoner's release depends on the law, in the fullest sense of the term. The system must not only be concerned with punishment; it...

Political prisoners.
June 1, 1998... Inmates whose status is a subject of controversy Few concepts in penology are as contentious as that of the "political prisoner", the implication of which is that such prisoners form a discrete group of detainees who, because of the nature of...

The United Nations, Unesco and prisoner education.
June 1, 1998... The United Nations is the foremost international organization concerned with the global question of prisoner education and has set many standards and norms in this field. UN action has focused on inmates' basic human right to an education...

Water: will there be enough? (fresh or drinking water)
June 1, 1998... Humankind has a special relationship with water. In every civilization, the most ancient traditions associate this precious resource with the origins of life, purification and regeneration. Far from being a mere raw material such as oil, water is...

Colombian 'Champeta.' (popular music genre with Colombian roots)
June 1, 1998... Born in the shanty-towns of Colombia, one of the most inventive forms of popular music today The Cartagena region, on Colombia's Atlantic coast, is fertile agricultural land which also produces bumper crops of new music. For years, artists...

'The dancer is a bond between earth and sky.' (interview with Metz, France-based US choreographer Susan Buirge)(Interview)
June 1, 1998... * What Is choreography for you? S.B.: For me, there are basically two kinds of choreographers. There are the visionaries who project their mental images on stage - the American choreographer Alwin Nikolais is a good example of this type -...