Foreword In 2016, the Human Rights Commission invited Dr Sharon Shalev to undertake a review of seclusion and restraint practices in New Zealand’s places of detention. Her 2017 report, Thinking Outside the Box: A Review of Seclusion and Restraint Practices in New Zealand, contained an extensive suite of recommendations to improve policies and practices in New Zealand. Her 2020 follow-up report, Time for a Paradigm Shift, reviewed progress made against her 2017 recommendations. We welcome Dr Shalev’s latest report, First, Do No Harm: segregation, restraint and pepper spray use in women’s prisons in New Zealand, which turns a spotlight on women’s experiences in prison and builds upon the findings in her previous reports. The report underscores the vulnerability of women prisoners, many of whom have experienced high levels of trauma and socio-economic deprivation throughout their lives. This report is a timely call for compassion and care toward some of our most vulnerable. Me aro ki te hä o Hine-ahu-one – Pay heed to the mana of women Women in our prisons have the human right to be treated with respect for their inherent mana and dignity. All women in prison should enjoy the human rights protections contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners; the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The genderspecific rights of women prisoners are further protected under the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the ‘Bangkok Rules’). 5