Brasília, March 15, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - On Thursday (11), the Ministry of Justice and the British Embassy launched the manual "Prison Administration: A Human Rights Approach," in Brasília. The manual describes procedures recommended by international agreements for all aspects of prison life, especially those involving the treatment of inmates. The publication points out that an ethical administration, which respects human rights, is the most effective and safest way to administer a prison.

The Minister of Justice, Márcio Thomaz Bastos, commended the manual and affirmed that it is an important educational tool for employees. "What we want, on a modest scale, is to build a prison system which, if it doesn't improve inmates, at least doesn't corrupt, degrade, or worsen them," he declared.

40 thousand copies will be published for distribution to prison workers throughout the country. (DAS)