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Nutritious food

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Respect the right to nutritious food

Reality

Some countries feed all of their detainees, regardless of the particular place of detention (PoD) that they are in. Others feed those in prisons but not police stations. A few don’t feed any of their detainees. If they are not fed by the state, detainees have to hope that their family & friends bring them food or send them money to buy food. And in some cultures, detainees held in communal cells try to share food with each other. Regardless, across the world right now, hundreds of thousands if not millions of detainees are hungry. Some are a bit hungry. Others are ravenous. Some are literally starving to death. How awful must this be?

Rule

Every prisoner shall be provided by the prison administration at the usual hours with food of nutritional value adequate for health and strength, of wholesome quality and well prepared and served.
NMR 22(1)

Response

Government funding of feeding within places of detention (PoD) is outside of our control. But there are some things that we can do to help…

Respect

Fresh ingredients about to be prepared

  • Document: we put up posters about NMR 22(1) and the health benefits of nutritious food, and we code patients’ medical notes if they have suffered as a result of non-compliance with this NMR.

  • Demonstrate: we run a feeding program, serving freshly cooked, nutritionally-balanced hot meals. And in mid-2024 we converted this program to being eco-friendly…

  • Discuss: we talk about why good nutrition is essential for human wellbeing. And we praise officials who make their own efforts to improve detainees’ nutritional status.

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?… or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 25:37-40

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Clean cells

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Respect the right to clean cells

Reality

Imagine that you really need to open your bowels but not being to go near the only toilet as it stinks so bad! Alternatively, what about having to sleep on the floor of a cockroach infested cell? For many detainees, such horrors are not the stuff of nightmares. They are daily reality.

Rule

All parts of a prison regularly used by prisoners shall be properly maintained and kept scrupulously clean at all times.
NMR 17

Response

The overcrowding and general cleaning & de-infestation of places of detention (PoD) is outside of our control. So there’s nothing we can go to prevent detainees having to sleep on the floor. But there are some things that we can do to help with …

Respect

  • Document: we put up posters about NMR 17 and the health benefits of environmental hygiene, and we code patients’ medical notes if they have suffered as a result of non-compliance with NMR 17.

  • Demonstrate: we bring in cleaning supplies - everything from bleach through to toilet brushes. The detainees clean their cells whilst we attend to our medical work. A cleaner environment is easier to live in, and is less attractive to cockroaches.

  • Discuss: we talk about why environmental hygiene is important to human wellbeing. And we praise officials who make their own efforts to improve detainees’ cell hygiene.

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Matthew 25:39

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Clean bodies

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Respect the right to clean bodies

Reality

Personal hygiene can be a challenge in places of detention (PoD), especially when there’s overcrowding. Stop and think for a minute: just how horrible must it be to have to live in a perpetually smelly body, surrounded by other even more smelly bodies?

Rule

1. Prisoners shall be required to keep their persons clean, and to this end they shall be provided with water and with such toilet articles as are necessary for health and cleanliness.
2. In order that prisoners may maintain a good appearance compatible with their self-respect, facilities shall be provided for the proper care of the hair and beard, and men shall be able to shave regularly.
NMR 18

Response

The construction and maintenance of water piping is outside of our control, although - when washing water is not coming through - we do advocate for plumbing systems to be repaired. But routinely, there is much that we can do about so-called ‘toilet articles’, which is another term for toiletries.…

Respect

  • Document: we put up posters about NMR 18 and the health benefits of good personal hygiene, and we code patients’ medical notes if they have suffered as a result of non-compliance with NMR 18.

  • Demonstrate: we distribute soap, towels, toothbrushes & toothpaste, combs, shampoo for those with long hair, and disposable razors. We provide laundry soap for the washing of towels, and sometimes launder them ourselves. Long-handed toothbrushes have to be risk assessed, as they can be used to make shivs. And the use of a razor is assessed on a case-by-case basis with officials, as they too are potentially lethal.

  • Discuss: we talk about why a good level of personal hygiene is important to human wellbeing. And we praise officials who make their own efforts to improve detainees’ personal hygiene.

…he [Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet,
drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him… “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
John 13:5-14

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A place to sleep

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Respect the right to a place to sleep

Reality

Severe overcrowding within prisons and other places of detention (PoD) is a hard fact. It’s displayed for all to see on many social media videos. But it should not be a subject for popular entertainment. Stop and think for a minute: just how horrible must it be to live, and to try to sleep, in such conditions?

Rule

All… sleeping accommodation shall meet all requirements of health, due regard being paid to climatic conditions and particularly to cubic content of air, minimum floor space, lighting, heating and ventilation.
NMR 13

Response

The construction, capacity and filling of places of detention (PoD) are outside of our control. So there is nothing we can do about climate, window design, ratio of floor space to bunk & toilet space, or number of detainees. But there are some things that we can do to help with heating, lighting and ventilation…

Respect

  • Document: we put up posters about NMR 13 and the health benefits of temperature control and good lighting, and we code patients’ medical notes if they have suffered as a result of non-compliance with NMR 13.

  • Demonstrate: we buy fans for cells, give blankets to elderly or sick detainees who (even in the tropics) feel cold, and offer spare light bulbs whenever required.

  • Discuss: we talk about why air circulation, sufficient light and temperature control are important to human wellbeing. And we praise officials who make their own efforts to improve detainees’ ventilation, temperature regulation and lighting.

Then the Lord God provided a leafy plan and made it grow up over Jonah
to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort,
and Jonah was very happy about the plant.
Jonah 4:6