Protecting Prisoners: the impact of international human rights law on the treatment of prisoners in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This paper considers the impact of international human rights law and standards on the protection of prisoners in the UK with specific reference to the European Convention on Human Rights, incorporated into UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998. Although prisoners do benefit from the protection of the Convention within prison, the scope of these rights will be limited by the needs of the prison administration as well as the political climate and the public’s attitude towards prisoners and the conflicts between these variables are addressed. Respect for prisoners’ rights, it is argued, may contribute to raised prison standards and to good order in prison.