ICPA Announces First International Women in Corrections Conference
By CN Staff
BANGKOK—On April 15, Natalie Boal, Executive Director, International Corrections and Prisons Association, and Phiset Sa-ardyen, Executive Director, Thailand Institute of Justice, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to host and co-organize the first Women in Corrections Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, from February 19-21, 2025.
Natalie Boal shared the following reflections during the MoU signing:
“As the leader for the advancement of professional and humane corrections and prisons worldwide, the International Corrections (ICPA) and Prisons Association is excited to partner with the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) to deliver the first Women in Corrections Conference in Bangkok Thailand from 19 to 21 February 2025.
Across the world, women make up a minority of people in prison and under community supervision and we know that traditional approaches to correctional management are not appropriately tailored to the needs of these women. We require evidence based, gender-sensitive approaches that understand the journeys of women into offending and how best to achieve long-term recidivism amongst women impact by the criminal justice system.
To achieve these goals, we need to listen to one another, to promote and share ethical and effective correctional practices that will enhance public safety and healthier communities worldwide. The first Women in Corrections Conference will be a landmark event for the global community as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Bangkok Rules and look to what we have achieved and what more there is to do.
A key goal of the Women in Corrections Conference is to bring together corrections professionals from the public, academic, not-for-profit, and private sectors to promote the sharing of academic research and practical experience. Through the conference, we will foster dialogue, share promising practices, and promote gender-sensitive approaches in corrections among practitioners and researchers, with the goal of bolstering the rights and well-being of women in the criminal justice system.
We are excited to work with TIJ over the coming year as we prepare for the conference, and we are encouraged by the leadership and commitment TIJ has made in continuing to advance the implementation of the Bangkok rules. I am especially excited that, by partnering with TIJ, we can deliver a conference that is accessible to attendees across the world.
Thank you to TIJ and we look forward to seeing many of you in Bangkok, Thailand, in February 2025.”