United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules)
A/RES/70/175
Rule 21
Every prisoner shall, in accordance with local or national standards, be
provided with a separate bed and with separate and sufficient bedding which shall
be clean when issued, kept in good order and changed often enough to ensure its
cleanliness.
Food
Rule 22
1.
Every prisoner shall be provided by the prison administration at the usual
hours with food of nutritional value adequate for health and strength, of wholesome
quality and well prepared and served.
2.
Drinking water shall be available to every prisoner whenever he or she needs it.
Exercise and sport
Rule 23
1.
Every prisoner who is not employed in outdoor work shall have at least one
hour of suitable exercise in the open air daily if the weather permits.
2.
Young prisoners, and others of suitable age and physique, shall receive
physical and recreational training during the period of exercise. To this end, space,
installations and equipment should be provided.
Health-care services
Rule 24
1.
The provision of health care for prisoners is a State responsibility. Prisoners
should enjoy the same standards of health care that are available in the community,
and should have access to necessary health-care services free of charge without
discrimination on the grounds of their legal status.
2.
Health-care services should be organized in close relationship to the general
public health administration and in a way that ensures continuity of treatment and
care, including for HIV, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, as well as for
drug dependence.
Rule 25
1.
Every prison shall have in place a health-care service tasked with evaluating,
promoting, protecting and improving the physical and mental health of prisoners,
paying particular attention to prisoners with special health-care needs or with health
issues that hamper their rehabilitation.
2.
The health-care service shall consist of an interdisciplinary team with sufficient
qualified personnel acting in full clinical independence and shall encompass sufficient
expertise in psychology and psychiatry. The services of a qualified dentist shall be
available to every prisoner.
Rule 26
1.
The health-care service shall prepare and maintain accurate, up-to-date and
confidential individual medical files on all prisoners, and all prisoners should be
granted access to their files upon request. A prisoner may appoint a third party to
access his or her medical file.
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