Summary: Drawing on the expertise and experience of contributors from a wide range of academic, professional and judicial backgrounds, the Research Handbook on the International Penal System critically analyses the laws, policies and practices that govern detention, punishment and the enforcement of sentences in the international criminal justice context. Comprehensive and innovative, it examines the operation of the international penal system, covering pertinent issues such as non-custodial sanctions, monitoring of conditions of detention, the protection of prisoners under international law and the transfer of prisoners. These aspects are presented in a logical order, linking up with the chronological sequence of the international criminal justice process. Far-reaching, this Handbook also explores broader normative questions related to contemporary human rights law, transitional and restorative justice and victim redress, before exploring contemporary and alternative mechanisms for punishing and overseeing punishment, and possible avenues for development. This up-to-date assessment will provide valuable insights for researchers and students of international criminal law and justice, comparative penal law, penology, prisoners' rights and transitional and restorative justice. Its recommendations for development will also interest international and national officials working in criminal law and justice