Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1988.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-100).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-100) Also available in print.

"This dissertation seeks to investigate: (a) whether national human rights institutions are best suited to oversee the improvement of prison conditions; (b) why national institutions are in a better position than others working in this field to monitor the respect of prisoners' rights; and (c) some of the ways in which national institutions can achieve this objective. This will entail an examination of the nature of prisoners' rights and prison conditions and, thereafter, the general character and elements that define national human rights commissions in terms of organization and establishment. These elements will be considered with a view to finding out whether they offer any advantages that can positively influence the conditions of prisons and prisoners and if so, how. It is recognized that national institutions are not the only ones involved in seeking to improve prison conditions. It will be argued however, that even with the existence of the other bodies, there still exists the need for national institutions to be expressly mandated to inspect and monitor the adherence to standards on prisoners' rights. The argument will again be based on the examination of the unique characteristics that these institutions possess as distinguished from other bodies, and the potential these characteristics have to ameliorate the conditions in which prisoners find themselves. ... Chapter one introduces the study and the questions that have prompted the study. Chapter two looks at the nature of pisons, how they began to be and what purposes they serve. This chapter also examines the conditions of prisons in Africa. The scope of chapter three is prisoners' rights, what they are, their justification and the legal regime that regulates their observance. Chapter four focuses on the implementation aspect by looking into what national human rights instiutions are. The final chapter will examine how national institutions have utilized or might utilize their characteristics in favor of the protection of the human rights of prisoners. Conclusions and recommendations will then follow." -- Chapter 1. / Prepared under the supervision of Dr. Jean Allain at the Political Science Department, American University in Cairo, Egypt / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2003. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

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Yes / Recent decades have witnessed a growing number of states around the world relying on border control measures, such as immigration detention, to govern human mobility and control the movements of those classified as “unauthorised non-citizens.” In response to this, an increasing number of scholars from several disciplines, including psychologists, have begun to examine this phenomenon. In spite of the widespread concerns raised, few studies have been conducted inside immigration detention sites, primarily due to difficulties in gaining access. This body of research becomes even scanter when it comes to the experiences of detained women. This study is the first of its kind to have surveyed 93 women confined in an Italian immigration detention facility. A partial mediation model with latent variables was tested through partial least structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed the negative impact that unfair immigration procedures have on detained women’s human dignity, which in turn negatively affects their self-rated physical and mental health. Overall, our study sheds light on the dehumanisation and damage to human dignity that immigration detention entails, as well as its negative impact on the health of those affected. This evidence reinforces the image of these institutions as sites of persistent injustice, while stressing the need to envision alternative justice-oriented forms to address human mobility. / FE’s doctoral research, on which this article relies, was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/87854/2012), and her subsequent work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (grant number: CEECIND/00924/2018/CP1541/CT0004).

This thesis is based on a particular domain of anthropological inquiry, the anthropology of policy, which proposes that policy be contemplated as an ethnographic object itself. The policy I consider is Australia's refugee policy, which advocates the mandatory detention of

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Governments around the world use immigration detention to detain and deport irregular immigrants, which negatively affects their health. The aim of this thesis was to explore, describe and identify factors that could mitigate the effect of immigration detention on the health of detainees. This was a mixed method study using qualitative methods (Papers I and II), quantitative methods (Paper III) and descriptive case comparison (Paper IV) comparing the Swedish system to the system in the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg). The study design was strengthened by triangulation of methods and data sources. Detainees experienced lack of control over their own lives due to lack of information in a language they can understand, inadequate responses from detention staff and restrictions within detention centers further limiting their liberty. Duration of detention was negatively associated with satisfaction of services provided in detention and the detainees’ Quality of Life (QOL). Detainees had low QOL domain scores with the psychological domain having the lowest score (41.9/100). The most significant factor positively associated with the QOL of detainees was the support received from detention staff. A sense of fear was present among detainees and staff. Detainees’ fear was due to their inadequate interaction with authorities, perceiving it as threatening, and due to their worry of facing repercussions of being involved in incidents caused by others. The potential for physical threat from detainees created a sense of fear among the staff. The detention staff expressed the need for more support to manage their emotional dilemma and role conflict of being a civil servant, simultaneously enabling the deportation process while providing humane care to detainees as fellow human beings. Detention centers in the Benelux countries had more categories of staff providing different services to detainees. Compared to the Benelux countries, healthcare services at the Swedish detention centers were limited. Detainees were offered no medical screening on arrival and no regular access to mental healthcare professionals. Detaining authorities have the obligation to safeguard the health of detainees. Challenges faced by the detention staff and detainees must be addressed to create a supportive environment and fulfill that obligation.