'IT is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.' This is what Nelson Mandela, former South African president, who himself spent many years in jail, said.

We mark Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18 in recognition of Mandela's contributions to the culture of peace and freedom. On this day, the United Nations highlights the importance of humane conditions of imprisonment and of prisoners being part of society. The UN also recognizes the valuable work of prison staff as a social service of particular importance.