Join the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) and International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) as we commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Bangkok Rules in 2025. This event provides an opportunity to celebrate progress, assess implementation, and identify areas for further improvement.
The United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders, also known as the Bangkok Rules, were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 21, 2010. These rules were created to address the unique needs, vulnerabilities, and rights of women in the criminal justice system, and to promote the use of alternatives to imprisonment.
To increase awareness about the Bangkok Rules and foster global discussion on women's imprisonment, the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) and the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) are organizing the Women in Corrections Conference (WICC) during 19-21 February 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference aims to achieve the following:
- Facilitate the sharing of academic research and practical experience to improve the treatment of women involved in correctional systems.
- Raise awareness about the root causes, conditions, and challenges faced by women involved in correctional systems.
- Share information and best practices that address the specific needs of corrections-involved women and / or relating to the implementation of the Bangkok Rules.
- Encourage discussions on practice and policy reforms to bring about positive changes for women involved in correctional systems.
- Commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the Bangkok Rules.
- Recognize the significant role of women working in the corrections profession.
Call for Papers
- Individuals with lived experience
- Academics
- Government and public sector agencie
- NGOs and other International Agencies
WICC Themes
- Trends in female imprisonment.
- Women's paths to prison and women’s prison experience.
- The impact of incarceration on women and their families’ well-being.
- Good practices and innovations in women’s prisons, in particular:
- Specialized programs addressing mental health challenges, trauma, victimization, and substance abuse among women in custody.
- Maintaining motherhood and family relations during incarceration.
- Architectural and environmental designs that prioritize the well-being and rehabilitation of women.
- Trend in the use of non-custodial measures for women.
- Women’s pathways to non-custodial sentences
- Women’s experiences of re-integration and non-custodial measures
- Good practices and innovations in women's social rehabilitation and reintegration.
- Factors supporting women’s successful reintegration.
- Specialized programs designed to reduce imprisonment amongst corrections-involved women.
- Gender-responsive policies, legislation, and legal frameworks that can better support corrections for women.
- Promising practices and challenges in the application of the Bangkok Rules in correctional work.
- The role of technology, research, and data-driven strategies in advancing gender-responsive penal systems.
- The role of women affected by the criminal justice system in policy advocacy and reform efforts.
Theme IV: Women Working in Corrections, which includes:
- Strengthening women’s leadership in corrections.
- Approaches to attracting and supporting women working in corrections, especially those that aim to support women in operational roles.
- Capacity building and supporting correctional staff, partners, and volunteers working with corrections-involved women.
- Developing informed policy and practice for specific groups of corrections-involved women, including women living with disabilities, elderly women, first nations women, foreign national women, trans-women, breastfeeding mothers, children residing in prison with their mothers, and other marginalized groups.
Submission Summary
Presentations should meet the following criteria:
- Abstracts must align with at least one of the conference themes.
- Abstracts must include at least three questions for discussions.
- Any references to research or outcomes must include sources.
- All presentations will be non-commercial/non-product focused.
