United Nations Human Rights Website

Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners

Adopted and proclaimed by GeneralAssembly resolution 45/111 of 14 December 1990

1. All prisoners shall be treated with therespect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings.
2. There shall be no discrimination onthe grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or otheropinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
3. It is, however, desirable to respectthe religious beliefs and cultural precepts of the group to which prisonersbelong, whenever local conditions so require.
4. The responsibility of prisons for thecustody of prisoners and for the protection of society against crime shallbe discharged in keeping with a State's other social objectives and itsfundamental responsibilities for promoting the well-being and developmentof all members of society.
5. Except for those limitations that aredemonstrably necessitated by the fact of incarceration, all prisoners shallretain the human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights, and, where the State concerned is a party,the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, andthe International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the OptionalProtocol thereto, as well as such other rights as are set out in otherUnited Nations covenants.
6. All prisoners shall have the right totake part in cultural activities and education aimed at the full developmentof the human personality.
7. Efforts addressed to the abolition ofsolitary confinement as a punishment, or to the restriction of its use,should be undertaken and encouraged.
8. Conditions shall be created enablingprisoners to undertake meaningful remunerated employment which will facilitatetheir reintegration into the country's labour market and permit them tocontribute to their own financial support and to that of their families.
9. Prisoners shall have access to the healthservices available in the country without discrimination on the groundsof their legal situation.
10. With the participation and help ofthe community and social institutions, and with due regard to the interestsof victims, favourable conditions shall be created for the reintegrationof the ex-prisoner into society under the best possible conditions.
11. The above Principles shall be appliedimpartially.