As detailed in Global Prison Trends, despite widely documented challenges in creating fair and effective criminal justice systems, there have been some positive steps taken towards the practical implementation of international human rights standards related to criminal justice, such as the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) and the United
Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules). As many prison and probation systems face common challenges, such efforts should be looked to for inspiration and replicated. Many challenges are a result of the increasing number of people in prison and so 30 years on from the adoption of the UN Standard Minimum Rules on Non-custodial Measures (the Tokyo Rules) this year’s Special Focus focuses on alternatives to imprisonment.