Topic: 2025 – Treatment of Prisoners
Country: Germany
Delegate Name: Madelyn Woller
Human Rights Committee
Treatment of Prisoners
Germany
Madelyn Woller
Forest Hills Eastern High School
The treatment of prisoners has been a widely discussed topic for many centuries, and issues of torture and death are debated constantly. Global Prison Reports 2025 revealed rising rates of suicide and violence among prisoners. The United Nations has previously intervened in the topic and enacted the UN Bangkok Rules, which outline the basic conditions that prisons within UN countries must meet. Around the world, millions of people are dehumanized while spending time incarcerated; these are not only criminals but people as well, mothers, fathers, wives, husbands. The Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) reports that prison populations are growing (women by 55% and Men by 22%). As prisons become more crowded, it becomes a question of how they should be treated after being sentenced.
Germany is slowly becoming somewhat of a role model to other countries, by not only treating each prisoner with respect and dignity but also aiding them in rehabilitation after their sentence is complete. This is beneficial to them because it will make the adjustment to society easier, and it will stimulate the economy with more people entering the workforce. The conditions in German prisons are far different from those in many other countries in the United Nations. Prisoners are given proper clothing, nutrients, living conditions, and plenty of human connection during their stay. This is a great contrast to many prisons, where inmates get little to no privacy or respect from staff. Germany takes the conditions of prison facilities very seriously. Beginning in 1977, Germany passed the Prison Act of 1977, an act that provided the legal framework for improving prisons within the country. This act was an important stepping stone for Germany because it highlighted mental health as well as physical health for inmates. There are several non-profit organizations in Germany, like the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP), which was founded in 2000 and aims to eliminate the death penalty worldwide. Prisoners in Germany get paid an average of $1.50 (USD) to promote a work ethic that will then benefit them upon their release. Countries like Norway and the United States do not pay prisoners for the work they perform. Germany encourages rehabilitation worldwide for every prisoner possible, in order to benefit citizens’ quality of life after their incarceration, and increase independence.
The treatment of prisoners worldwide is an important topic that Germany would like to take part in. The Bangkok Rules were a positive effort that jumpstarted progress among the United Nations, and similar rules, such as a more nutrient-packed diet, better, more comfortable living conditions, and a small albeit small salary for labor being performed, should be discussed as well. Germany believes that countries should look into better facilities for inmates, and in return, they will have an overall more positive experience for prisoners that will then become contributing members of society. Germany is willing to help countries get started on the project of improving facilities by educating staff in prisons on the importance of respect and treating people with dignity, as well as providing curricula for the education of prisoners themselves.
