24 Amendments of Eva JOLY related to 2015/2062(INI)
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
- having regard to its Written Declaration 0006/2011 of 14 February 2011 on infringement of the fundamental rights of detainees in the European Union,
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas, in its judgment of 6 October 2005 in the case Hirst v. the United Kingdom, the European Court of Human Rights confirmed that a general and automatic restriction on prisoners’ right to vote was not compatible with democracy; whereas in 2011, 58.7% of prisoners in Poland entitled to vote participated in the parliamentary elections;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the European Social Fund includes projects aiming to help prisoners and ex-offenders integrate in the labour market once they have served their sentence, such as the "Reintegration DJI 2014" project in the Netherlands, the "More qualified work force – more secure society" project in Estonia or the "Leonhard: Enterprise for Prisoners" project in Germany, among others;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the phenomenon of radicalisation that is occurring in many prisons inof the European Union deserves particular attention and should be tackled appropriately, in full respect of human rights and international obligations;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Is concerned about the growing trend of classifying as crimes acts which used to be classified as minor infringements, and the heavier penalties imposed for specific infringements, resulting in prison sentences being given more often, and for longer periods;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Underlines that systems which are entirely punitive are ineffective or even counter-productive; calls on Member States to de-criminalise certain minor offences for non-violent offenders, such as the use of cannabis (marijuana) and other soft drugs;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Is concerned about immediate appearance proceedings which, although they are for minor offences, are accompanied by penalties which are on average twice as harsh as those imposed in traditional proceedings;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that increasing prisons’ capacity is not the sole solution to overcrowding, as the prison population tends to rise at the same rate as prison capacity; calls nonetheless on Member States to allocate appropriate resources to refurbishment and modernisation of prisons in order to protect the rights of prisoners; is concerned about the increase in privatisation of prison systems and the use of public/private partnerships in the construction and daily management of prisons; is concerned about the length of contracts with private enterprises, which are sometimes concluded for periods of longer than 20 years, on occasion making it impossible to apply new prison laws or prison policy reforms, and placing states in significant debt; deplores the fact that very few comparative studies have been carried out to evaluate the costs and the quality of management in public and private prisons; points out that the main tasks of guidance, monitoring and court administration must remain in the hands of the state; recalls that the Commission recently mentioned the possibility of drawing on the Structural Funds of the European Union; for the renovation and modernisation of prisons, with a view to improving conditions for prisoners;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Warns that penal establishments described as ‘modern’ can be dehumanising; points out that the socialisation of prisoners is necessary, and vital for their successful reintegration into society;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Stresses the importance of in- depth thinking about the architectural principles that must take pride of place when constructing new prisons, such as prioritising the construction of small units, and avoiding as far as possible units with more than 1 000 places, creating collective spaces that meet the objectives of activity provision and socialisation, ensuring that movement within the prisons is fluid, and prioritising lighting and sound schemes that promote a peaceful atmosphere;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that the European Prison Rules, adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, underline that that prisoners should be able to participate in elections, referenda and in other aspects of public life, in so far as their right to do so is not restricted by national law; recalls that participation in electoral activities allows prisoners to become again active members of society, which helps in their reintegration path; urges Member States to facilitate the practical access to electoral rights for prisoners, such as setting up voting booths inside prisons on election days;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points out that, compared with alternative measures, imprisonment leads to more re-offending for short sentences; Encourages Member States to adopt non- custodial measures as an alternative to detention and calls on them to ensure that, in addition to the punitive aspect of imprisonment, attention is also devoted to more educational and social aspects, in order to enable punishment to be managed better, make a success of social reintegration and reduce recidivism; draws attention in this connection to the good practices which exist in the Scandinavian countries;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recalls that the European Social Fund is a Union financial instrument improving job prospects for millions of Europeans, in particular those who find it difficult to get work, including prisoners and ex-offenders; welcomes the setting-up of projects helping prisoners to re- integrate into society and the labour market once they have served their sentence;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Deplores the fact that the vulnerable situation of elderly prisoners is not fully taken into account in some Member States; calls on Member States to ensure that elderly prisoners who become incapacitated are released; calls on Member States to ensure that elderly prisoners or prisoners who suffer from a handicap are provided with the necessary infrastructure such as ramps, lifts, handrails and wheelchairs;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on Member States to ensure that prisoners have regular contacts with their families through inter alia letters, telephone calls and visits, but also through modern technologies; recalls that the notion of family should be interpreted liberally to include a person with whom the prisoner has established a relationship comparable to that of a family member even if the relationship has not been formalised;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Urges Member States to allow intimate family visits for an extended period of time, for example 72 hours, as such long visits allow inmates to have intimate relations with their partners; recalls that shorter visits for this purpose may be demeaning to both partners and are detrimental to good prisoners' conditions;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on Member States to abide by the recommendations in force concerning the treatment of foreign prisoners, based on their right not to suffer discrimination; underlines that prisoners who are detained in another Member State than their Member State of residence have more difficulties in keeping in contact with their families; recalls that any prisoner should be detained in a location as close as possible to his or her family members;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on Member States to combat the growphenomenon of radicalisation ing phenomenon of radicalisation in prisonrison; stresses that inadequate detention conditions and prison overcrowding can constitute factors that increase the risk of radicalisation, as can the use of disproportionate measures, particularly the use of force or disciplinary sanctions;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls on Member States to ensure regular dialogue between prisoners and prison staff, as good professional relationships between staff and prisoners are an essential element of dynamic security in de-escalating potential incidents or in restoring good order through a process of dialogue;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Calls on the European Commission to launch a European Forum on prisons' conditions in order to encourage the exchange of best practices between experts and practitioners across all Member States;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on the Commission to monitor and collect information and statistics about detention conditions in all Member States and any cases of infringement of the fundamental rights of detainees, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity; calls on Member States to allow MEPs right of access to prisons and detention centres without hindrance;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on Member States to promote policies to reintegrate prisoners into civil life and to establish policies on monitoring and adjustment of penalties; encourages Member States to introduce a binding requirement for penal establishments to offer a minimum of five hours of activities each day; stresses the importance of offering each prisoner a tailored programme of activities, focused on reintegration, preparation for release and prevention of re-offending; encourages the establishment of specific areas dedicated to preparation for release, within the framework of preventing re- offending;