Human Rights and Social Work Practice: The Case of the Families of Prisoners in Jordan
A human rights perspective implies resistance to totalitarianism, struggles against racism, sexism and neocolonialism, and awareness that some sectors need recognition of special rights, because of their position of structural disadvantage. Prisoners’ families represent one such group. This paper will examine social work with this group in Jordan, a country which is moving to incorporate international human rights standards into policies and practices.
Families of Prisoners are a marginalised group in Jordan,experiencing stigma through no fault of their own. Meeting the family’s needs is an important human rights issue, especially in a culture such as Jordan where family is so important. Examples include housing, health care, financial support, links with organizations that have expertise in working in the prison system.
Social work in Jordan is engaged in the struggle to change social stigma and misunderstandings about families of prisoners. The problems of Jordanian families of prisoners, as presented to the doctor, at the benefit office, in a community, or at school, may not appear unusual. They will often find it very difficult to discuss the underlying reason for their problems - the imprisonment of a relative.It is difficult for families in Jordanian society to say openly that a father or husband is in prison for fear of rejection at school or in the wider society.
Working from a human rights perspective helps social workers to deal with the needs of families of prisoners in Jordanian society. This requires that a link be made between articulated needs and underlying assumptions of rights. That can be by identifying their felt needs within the context of Jordanian society and specifying the activities and resources used to satisfy their needs. Social work using a human rights perspective is engaged in the struggle to change social stigma and misunderstandings about prisoners’ families, through a variety of approaches. The human rights perspective requires that this work be seen within a context of a broad societal commitment to human rights, and an articulation of the responsibilities implied by those rights, to ensure that the needs of prisoners’ families are adequately met.