| Tables and figures | p. viii |
| Acknowledgements | p. ix |
| Acronyms and abbreviations | p. x |
| An overview of human rights in prisons worldwide | p. 1 |
| The importance of prison research | p. 1 |
| Why this book? | p. 4 |
| Rising global prisoner numbers | p. 9 |
| Are states with high prisoner populations more punitive? | p. 10 |
| The historical context | p. 12 |
| Conditions and overcrowding | p. 14 |
| Resources and prison governance | p. 20 |
| Awaiting trial detention | p. 22 |
| Women | p. 24 |
| Children | p. 26 |
| Rehabilitation | p. 27 |
| Alternative sentencing | p. 29 |
| The role of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights | p. 30 |
| The Special Rapporteur on Prisons and Conditions of Detention in Africa | p. 32 |
| Prison reform in Africa | p. 34 |
| Conclusion | p. 37 |
| A brief history of human rights in the prisons of Africa | p. 40 |
| The pre-colonial period | p. 40 |
| The Atlantic slave trade | p. 43 |
| The colonial period | p. 44 |
| The post-colonial period | p. 52 |
| Conclusion | p. 60 |
| Challenges to good prison governance in Africa | p. 67 |
| International norms | p. 68 |
| Towards administrative reform of prisons in Africa | p. 70 |
| The promotion of self-sufficiency | p. 71 |
| The management of healthcare in prisons | p. 72 |
| Overcrowding and prison design | p. 73 |
| The management of children and youth | p. 74 |
| Rehabilitation programmes | p. 75 |
| Human resource management | p. 76 |
| Independent oversight of prison administration | p. 79 |
| Conclusion | p. 80 |
| Overcrowding in African prisons | p. 83 |
| Problems caused by overcrowding | p. 84 |
| Causes of overcrowding | p. 85 |
| Overcrowding figures for some African prisons | p. 88 |
| Measures of hope | p. 88 |
| Conclusion | p. 90 |
| Pre-trial detention and human rights in Africa | p. 93 |
| International standards and guidelines | p. 94 |
| African standards and jurisprudence | p. 95 |
| African resolutions and declarations on pre-trial detention | p. 97 |
| Pre-trial detention and imprisonment in Africa | p. 99 |
| Pre-trial detention as a human rights issue | p. 104 |
| Developing solutions | p. 111 |
| Conclusion | p. 114 |
| Children in African prisons | p. 117 |
| The prevalence of children in African prisons | p. 117 |
| International standards applicable to children in prisons | p. 119 |
| Prison conditions in practice | p. 122 |
| Positive aspects of African approaches to incarceration | p. 126 |
| Children of imprisoned mothers | p. 128 |
| Conclusion | p. 130 |
| The imprisonment of women in Africa | p. 134 |
| The imprisonment of women across the African continent | p. 135 |
| What leads to women being imprisoned? | p. 144 |
| Other institutions that are prison-like in nature and effect | p. 148 |
| Marriage, sex and women's imprisonment | p. 149 |
| Conclusion | p. 152 |
| Rehabilitation and reintegration in African prisons | p. 155 |
| Defining rehabilitation and reintegration | p. 155 |
| Regional instruments | p. 159 |
| Legislation and policy frameworks | p. 161 |
| The practice of rehabilitation and reintegration in African prisons | p. 162 |
| The impact of rehabilitation and reintegration services on prisoners | p. 172 |
| Conclusion | p. 175 |
| Alternative sentencing in Africa | p. 178 |
| The framework for and origins of alternative sentencing in Africa | p. 179 |
| Alternative sentencing and prison overcrowding | p. 184 |
| Proportionality and interchangeability of sanctions | p. 190 |
| Social conditions and alternative sentencing | p. 191 |
| Alternative sentencing in the broader system of governance | p. 193 |
| The future of alternative sentencing in Africa | p. 198 |
| Conclusion | p. 200 |
| The African Commission's approach to prisons | p. 204 |
| The role of international institutions in assessing prison conditions | p. 204 |
| Visits by the Special Rapporteur | p. 206 |
| Standards adopted by the Commission with respect to prison conditions | p. 211 |
| Conclusion | p. 216 |
| Contributors | p. 224 |
| References | p. 226 |
| Index | p. 247 |
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