As a prison conditions and detention expert, Vicki Prais has comprehensive, expert level legal and practical knowledge of international and regional human rights standards on criminal justice and detention. Vicki has in-country experience working in different settings, including Kosovo, Armenia, Albania, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Japan, Georgia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Canada, Spain and Russia and a very strong understanding of penal related issues through practical visits to closed institutions in various countries (Canada, Georgia, Japan, Spain, Turkey and England & Wales).
Vicki Prais is an internationally recognised award-winning human rights lawyer, independent human rights consultant, academic, trainer and career coach with expertise in the protection of prisoners’ rights, prison reform, humane detention and the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment in detention. She brings 29 years of professional experience in International Organisations (the UN, Council of Europe), the British Government (Human Rights Advisor to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Government Legal Department), civil society (Amnesty International, Penal Reform International), national human rights institutions (the Scottish Human Rights Commission) and academia (Visiting Professor of Human Rights, Centre for Human Rights, Birmingham City University).
Vicki is a former immigration and asylum lawyer (Immigration Advisory Service, 2000 – 2007) and represented asylum seekers before the immigration tribunals, High Court and Court of Appeal in London.
Vicki is based in London.
Detention and prison conditions (various countries)
I have 29 years of professional experience in International Organisations including the UN, the Council of Europe, the British Government (Government Legal Department and as Human Rights Advisor, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, prisoner policy team, Consular Directorate), civil society organisations (Penal Reform International, Amnesty International) and academia (Surrey University; McGill University - Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism). In my position with the FCDO (2014-2017), I advised senior diplomats (including Ambassadors) in London and at posts around the world on any human rights issues (torture, ill-treatment, death penalty, prison conditions, fair trial) affecting British nationals detained overseas. I advised on both substantive human rights law and lobbying strategies on behalf of the British government.
As a detention expert, I have comprehensive, expert level legal and practical knowledge of international and regional human rights standards on criminal justice and detention. My in-country experience working in different settings, includes Kosovo, Armenia, Albania, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Japan, Georgia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Canada, Spain and Russia and I have a very strong understanding of penal related issues through practical visits to closed institutions in various countries (Canada, Georgia, Japan, Spain, Turkey and England & Wales).
In December 2021, I was selected for the pool of experts created for the CPT (Council of Europe, Committee for the Prevention of Torture) and am eligible to join monitoring missions to places of detention with the CPT Secretariat.
In November 2025, I was engaged as an expert witness in extradition proceedings in the UK where I documented and drafted a comprehensive report on prison conditions in Portugal.
In February 2025, I completed specialist Expert Witness Training (Asylum) organised by the Refugee Law Initiative, University of London.
I have also completed specialist training, Report writing for Expert Witnesses (Bond Solon, November 2024).
I have written widely both academically and for a wider audience through blogs, industry journals and Op-Eds. I have also presented seminars, given lectures and published papers focused on prisoners’ rights, prison reform and humane detention.
Key / selected publications:
- Global Prison Trends Report 2019 (Penal Reform International/Thailand Institute of Justice) Co-author
- Older persons in detention: A framework for preventive monitoring (PRI,2021) Contributor
- Guidance document on the European Rules (PRI/Council of Europe, 2023) Contributor
- Women in prison: Mental health and well-being - a guide for prison staff (PRI, 2020) Contributor
- Journal of Human Rights Practice, The implementation of the UN Mandela Rules in Canada: A practitioner’s perspective (2021)
- Irish Penal Reform Trust, Maternal Imprisonment in Ireland: A Scoping Study, (2023), Co-author
- Together against the Death Penalty, ‘Monitoring conditions of detention of prisoners sentenced to death: A new practical guide for NHRIs and NPMs (2025) Co-author
For a full list of my publications see here - https://www.clippings.me/vickiprais
Older persons in prison
Foreign nationals in prison
Death sentenced / death row prisoners.