By Kate Ibeanusi, Senior Programme Officer/Head of Office, Lagos
 and Gaelle Tchouta- PRIA: Francophone Countries

Prison Reform Intervention in Africa (PRIA) is a project being implemented by PRAWA in partnership with the African Commission for Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), the African Corrections and Prisons Association (ACSA), International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA), the United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI) and the Institute for Development Studies of the University of Nigeria Nsukka with the support of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project, which is currently being executed in six African countries- Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Rwanda Burundi and The democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – is in its second phase of implementation. With the aim of achieving comprehensive and sustainable penal reform in Africa, the project adopts a Country, Regional and International based approach towards addressing penal sector related issues within the continent.

At Country level, several activities were carried out in Zambia, Kenya, Burundi and The democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with facilitators who are experts from Nigeria, South Africa and the Netherlands. Activities implemented included Media Workshop, Stakeholders Conference, Training of Trainers as well as other activities which are unique to the different countries.

The In-country activities for Zambia included a Media Workshop, Stakeholders Conference, Training of Trainers and Development of Rehabilitation Policy workshops. The activities which started on 9 October, 2012 continued till 25 October, 2012. Dr. Uju Agomoh led the delegation in the company of Kate Ibeanusi, Gaelle Tchouta, Constant du Fosse, Emmanuel Akpata and Dr. Ahamefule Agomoh. The participants at the different workshops were drawn from the Media, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), Private organizations, the Zambian Correctional Services, Healthcare practitioners and donor agencies.

The Commissioner of the Zambia Correctional Services, Mr. Percy K. Chato, who played an oversight role, was physically present during the weeklong activities. The PRIA project aims at ensuring that penal reform becomes one of the core development issues in national discourse, these activities resulted in the training of Prison Human Rights trainers and the establishment of a Penal Reform Media Network (PERMNET) which is expected to awaken public consciousness on the need for penal reform. It is believed that with the PERMNET set up in Zambia and the core group of trainers trained, the Zambian Prison Service will become a model of correctional services within the African Sub Region.

On 17 October 2012, the Kenya in-country activities commenced with a one day stakeholder conference held in Kivi Milimani Hotel, Nairobi Kenya. In attendance were representatives of CSOs, FBOs, government agencies and donor agencies. Kate Ibeanusi, Senior Programme Officer at PRAWA who represented the Executive Director called on all present to commit to the reform program for the Kenya Prison Services. She highlighted the importance of the role of stakeholders in bringing about meaningful reforms in the sector in a paper presentation on ‘Promoting Comprehensive and Sustainable Reforms in the Prison/Correctional Services: The Importance of Partnership and Multi Agency Cooperation’. Mr. Benjamin Njoga a deputy Commissioner of Prisons with the KPS who represented the Commissioner thanked PRAWA who through the PRIA project has initiated several reform programs for the KPS and has also provided support for them in the areas of human capital development with training on website development.

In Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the in-country activities focused on the Training of Trainers and Strengthening of the Internal Coordination of the prisons through the enhancement of the Security and Safety of Prisons. The activities in Burundi commenced on 15 October 2012 with visits to the Gitega and Rumongue prisons, while the training sessions started from 16- 19 October 2012 with an opening ceremony that was presided over by the Director of prisons, Mr Deo Suzuguye and the Coordinator of Intuitional and Operational Support in the Justice Sector, Mr Edouard Minani in the of “La Détente.”

The Training of Trainers workshop had participants drawn from all the prisons in Burundi while the training on Enhancing Security and Safety in prisons focused on prison directors and police officers who were in charge of prison security in the country.

From 23-26 October 2012, training for prison officers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) took place at Ecole de Formation des Officiers de Police Judiciaire, Ndolo. The participants were from the civil and military prisons in Ndolo and Makala. During the course of the training, great emphasis was placed on the need for individuals who were participants to replicate the training in all the prisons in the country. The papers presented at the training workshop analyzed the issue of comprehensive and sustainable penal reform in DRC under the following topics: ‘Human Rights Instruments and Mechanisms of Protection’, ‘Understanding UNSMR’, ‘Understanding Training Methodology’ and ‘Security and Safety: Classification of Categories in the Prisons’. The commitment expressed by participants during the workshop resulted in the development of several personal initiatives expected to ensure the sustainability and further development of the positive changes that have been brought so far by the PRIA project.