Topic: Prison Reform
Country: Sweden
Delegate Name: Rachel Norman
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Sweden position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
The United Nations strongly believes that prison reform is necessary to ensure basic human rights. Even though prisoners have committed crimes, it is in the opinion of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Committee that they should be exempt from cruel and unusual punishment and meet at least the minimum standards of living.
Sweden believes, according to their violation of the global torture ban, that prisoners do not deserve these rights. In 2001, Sweden tortured two men suspected of terrorism and did not give them a fair trial. Such events were found to have taken place at other times in Sweden, as well. The United Nations took action and demanded fair trials to be given and torture to be stopped. However, torture of the men still continued secretly. Although the Human Rights’ Committee has discussed possible prison reform solutions with Sweden, they have yet to cooperate.
The United Nations has resolution plans for prison reform along with other countries that also express concerns and ideas. This involves the “United Nations Standards and Norms in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice”. It includes the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty, Basic Principals on the Independence of the Judiciary, United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial Measures, the Basic Principals of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, and the Guidelines on justice in matters involving child victims and witnesses of crime. The United Nations plans on enforcing these standards to the absolute extent of their power.
With Sweden’s previous blatant disregard for the United Nations policies on criminal justice in the past years, it is crucial that they now follow conduct. The rules are getting incredibly serious, and the consequences even more so. Sweden, and other countries that have shown to have similar beliefs, must cooperate with the United Nations Human Rights’ policies as far as Prison Reform and Criminal Justice.
Statistics have proven recently that the incarceration rate of state and federal prisoners sentenced to more than one year was 474 per 100,000 U.S residents. This number needs to decrease because it is possibly the result of unfair justice systems.
Law enforcement officials should behave as they were hired to, and uphold the code of conduct. Abuse of power is not something to be taken lightly. Children are the ones we should most definitely strive to protect no matter what the circumstances are. Juvenile offenders shall under no law be mistreated.
There must be minimum rules, there must be minimum requirements, and there must be a minimum standard the system has to reach. It is pivotal that the United Nations take immediate action, although Sweden has neglected to agree.
