Tackling the 'shadow': Human rights and prisons, a European perspective

Tackling the 'shadow': Health & Justice: a European perspective on human rights and prisons. What should be done in Europe as regards human rights and prisons is very clearly outlined in various important international agreements which the vast majority of countries in Europe have officially accepted. Yet a current assessment on behalf of WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION's Health In Prisons Programme (HIPP) shows widespread deviation from standards of quality and the principles of equivalence. We will refer to a new publication, "Good Governance for Prison Health in the 21st Century: Policy Guidance for Members of the WHO European Region", due for publication in Autumn 2013 at the WHO/Public Health England Conference in London. The title of this presentation is inspired by a quotation from T S Eliot: ‘Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act, Falls the shadow'. HIPP is pushing open doors in prisons to allow in the light to dispel the 'shadow' by ensuring the principle of equivalence guides practice in prison health, where quality is not compromised by context and advocating for Ministries of Health, not Ministries of Justice, to be responsible for designing and delivering healthcare to prisoners. This should help as regards equivalence of care, but some important parts of the 'shadow' will likely remain for some time to come, especially in resource-poor environments.