Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisons & Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders (‘Bangkok Rules’)

The Bangkok Rules are about the treatment of women in prison (as well as women charged with an offence who are not in prison). They were adopted by the UN in 2010.

The Bangkok Rules apply in addition to the Mandela Rules. They were created because of the particular needs of women in the criminal justice system.

The Rules are not legally binding, but they are internationally recognised and provide important guidance about how prisons should be run. They are recognised by Corrections Victoria.

Important: Section 32(2) of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights also says that international law can be taken into account when you are interpreting Victorian laws like the Corrections Act 1986 (Vic). 

The first rule is a basic principle:

Rule 1: Account shall be taken of the distinctive needs of women prisoners in the application of the Rules. Providing for such needs in order to accomplish substantial gender equality shall not be regarded as discriminatory.

The rest of the rules set out minimum standards for women in prison related to:

• Admission procedures and prison allocation
• Healthcare and hygiene
• Humane treatment
• Safety and security
• Search and restraint procedures
• Solitary confinement
• Training of prison staff
• Maintaining contact with people outside prison
• Children who accompany their mothers into prison

The full set of rules can be found on the UN’s website.