"Recalling further Economic and Social Council resolution 1986/10 of 21 May 1986, section XI, on alternatives to imprisonment, in which the Secretary-General was requested to prepare a report on alternatives to imprisonment for the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders and to study that question with a view to the formulation of basic principles in that area, with the assistance of the regional institutes, "Recognizing the need to develop local, national, regional and international approaches and strategies in the field of non-institutional treatment of offenders and the need to formulate standard minimum rules, as emphasized in the report of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control on its fourth session, concerning the methods and measures likely to be most effective in preventing crime and improving the treatment of offenders, 84/ "Convinced that alternatives to imprisonment can be an effective means of treating offenders within the community to the best advantage of both the offenders and society, "Aware that the restriction of liberty is justifiable only from the viewpoints of public safety, crime prevention, just retribution and deterrence and that the ultimate goal of the criminal justice system is the reintegration of the offender into society, "Emphasizing that the increasing prison population and prison overcrowding in many countries constitute factors that create difficulties for the proper implementation of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, "Taking note with appreciation of the work accomplished by the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, as well as the interregional preparatory meeting on criminal justice policies in relation to problems of imprisonment, other penal sanctions and alternative measures and by the regional preparatory meetings for the Eighth Congress, "Expressing its gratitude to the United Nations Asia and Far East 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be focused on the topic of criminal justice and the use of alternatives to imprisonment, rather than any specific economic or environmental issue. The language used is formal and official, suggesting a United Nations document. The text references the United Nations Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and regional preparatory meetings, which further supports the idea that this text is related to the field of criminal justice.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Education