Eight countries participated in UNODC’s global programmes: Iraq, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Tajikistan, Tunisia and Uganda. Find out what the programme teams have been working on in 2022, and what's coming up in 2023.
Over the course of 2022 UNODC visited more than half of prison facilities across Ghana to better understand the current state of prison management and to evaluate the Ghana Prisons Service’s compliance with international standards and norms, such as the Nelson Mandela Rules. Based on the findings of the assessment, we have developed a plan for our three-year project in the country. At the same time, programme delivery began:
In addition to our ongoing activities, UNODC will strengthen the Ghana Prisons Service’s capacity for online training, including UNODC’s Nelson Mandela Rules e-learning course, by establishing a new IT Lab at the Prison Officers Training School.
UNODC will also work on improving the capacity of the Service to respond to the needs of prisoners by constructing or refurbishing vocational training workshops in two selected prison facilities, providing specialized training for officers and offering additional treatment programmes in these prisons.
The Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) Detention programme in Iraq has enhanced the capacity of national counterparts to effectively manage and mitigate threats posed by foreign terrorist fighters in custody and violent extremist prisoners.
The FTF programme will continue to coordinate and work closely with national counterparts to enhance the capacity of prison staff. The programme will review the classification system of prisoners in Iraq and provide support in its refinement, as required; develop standardized training manuals; and form a federal task group.
In 2022 Kazakhstan joined the Group of Friends of the Nelson Mandela Rules – a group of over 30 member states working to create awareness and promote the practical application of the United Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules). In addition, the programme on "Supporting the management of violent extremist prisoners and the prevention of radicalization to violence in prison" came to a close, with delegations from Tunisia and Uganda coming together in Astana, Kazakhstan, for a final conference and study visit.
There were a number of other significant achievements over the course of the year:
Much of our work has focused on the development of the probation system in Kyrgyzstan. The system is still in its early days, reaching its third anniversary in 2023.
In 2023 we plan to finalize, in close cooperation with the Kyrgyz government, the Probation Strategy for 2023-2027. The risks and needs assessment tool for probation clients will be completed and integrated into the daily work of probation specialists, and we will continue to strengthen the capacity of the probation department through expert training.
In Nigeria, overcrowding due to the overuse of pre-trial detention remains a key concern. A huge 70 percent of the prison population are awaiting trial. Overcrowding has led to other challenges which include poor sanitary conditions facilitating the spread of infectious diseases, lack of adequate vocational and recreational facilities and emerging security threats such as violent extremism. A prison system in which thousands of people do not have their rights met has a knock-on effect on the safety and security of wider society.
To support ongoing efforts of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to address some of these challenges UNODC, in line with its Strategic Vision for Nigeria 2030, has partnered with the NCoS on promoting the practical application of the Nelson Mandela Rules and strengthening the capacity of the NCoS to ensure the safe, secure and humane custody of inmates in their custody. Key achievements include renovation of vocational and learning facilities and officer living conditions at Maiduguri Maximum Custodial Centre, and assisting NCoS in developing an updated knowledge base of priority challenges, needs and constraints.
We plan to continue supporting the NCoS with infrastructural support to enhance water and sanitation facilities and rehabilitation at six focal prisons in the north-east of Nigeria. We will also focus on various activities aimed at improving access to justice for pre-trial detainees and at enhancing the social reintegration prospects of prisoners, including by closely working with legal aid providers and civil society organisations.
This year UNODC began the implementation of the Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters (RFTFs) Detention Project in Tajikistan, which aims to build the capacity of the Tajikistan Prison Service to effectively manage RFTFs in detention, facilitating their rehabilitation and reintegration and preventing radicalization to violence in prisons. Working closely with the prison service, we have:
We plan to develop a risks and needs assessment tool tailored to the specific needs of the prison service of Tajikistan, in addition to designing and delivering a training curriculum specifically designed for prison staff who directly deal with prisoners convicted of crimes related to terrorism and violent extremism.
This year UNODC partnered with the Ministry of Justice and the General Committee on Prisons and Rehabilitation (CGPR) to support the founding of CRIMINO-TN – the first-ever Center for Research on Violent Extremism and Rehabilitation in Tunisia, which opened on 22 March 2022. The center will allow the development of evidenced-based policies relevant to the Tunisian context.
In addition, the team offered training; organised a retreat for civil society organizations on the management of violent extremist prisoners; and provided equipment to support rehabilitation programmes directly to prisons.
This year saw UNODC work closely with the Uganda Prisons Service and Uganda Law society on an innovative intervention on decongestion (see below). We also concluded the five-year "Supporting the management of violent extremist prisoners and the prevention of radicalization to violence in prison" EU/UN global initiative. You can find out more about the programme’s impact in our final achievements report. Other achievements of 2022 include:
Since 2017, we have been supporting the Government of Uganda to prevent violent extremism and to support the management of violent extremist prisoners, while enhancing access to justice. To build on the expertise gained through this initiative, UNODC in Uganda will be implementing a five-year follow-up initiative in the form of the “Strengthening Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme.” The new programme will enable equitable access to justice and strengthen responses to counter organized crime in Uganda.