Resolution No (75) 25

on Prison Labour

Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 18 September 1975 at the 248th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies

The Committee of Ministers,

Aware of the value of work as an important and relevant element in training and rehabilitation of prisoners and as an important part of operational management of penal institutions:

Taking account of the constraints that arise from the complexity of prison regimes due to the human factors in, and the organisational structures of, penal institutions;

Considering that continued emphasis should be placed on developing the role of work in penal regimes,

I. Recommends that the governments of the member states:

1. grant a defined status and a defined priority to prison labour;

2. make suitable resources available for the support of work programmes according to institutional needs;

3. fully utilise to this end adequate and modern management systems, techniques and production processes;

4. adapt conditions of work, performance objectives and remuneration as far as practicable and taking account of the special nature of work in prison with outside standards ;

5. recognise the importance of work and its implications for management at all levels when staff are being selected and trained;

6. co-ordinate the labour allocation system with the other aspects of the management of penal regimes;

II. Invites the governments of member states to inform the Secretary General of the Council of Europe every five years of the steps they have taken to implement this resolution.