Preliminary observations

1. The Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners apply to all prisoners without discrimination; therefore, the specific needs and realities of all prisoners, including of women prisoners, should be taken into account in their application. The Rules, adopted more than 50 years ago, did not, however, draw sufficient attention to women ‘ s particular needs. With the increase in the number of women prisoners worldwide, the need to bring more clarity to considerations that should apply to the treatment of women prisoners has acquired importance and urgency.

2. Recognizing the need to provide global standards with regard to the distinct considerations that should apply to women prisoners and off enders and taking into account a number of relevant resolutions adopted by diff erent United Nations bodies, in which Member States were called on to respond appropriately to the needs of women off enders and prisoners, the present rules have been developed to complement and supplement, as appropriate, the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (the Tokyo Rules) in connection with the treatment of women prisoners and alternatives to imprisonment for women off enders.

3. The present rules do not in any way replace the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners or the Tokyo Rules and, therefore, all relevant provisions contained in those two sets of rules continue to apply to all prisoners and off enders without discrimination. While some of the present rules bring further clarity to existing provisions in the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and in the Tokyo Rules in their application to women prisoners and off enders, others cover new areas.

4. These rules are inspired by principles contained in various United Nations conventions and declarations and are therefore consistent with the provisions of existing international law. They are addressed to prison authorities and criminal justice agencies (including policymakers, legislators, the prosecution service, the judiciary and the probation service) involved in the administration of noncustodial sanctions and community-based measures.