17 December 2009 -- Addressing corrections officers at a workshop closing ceremony today, the Director of Prisons for North Darfur, Brigadier General Babikir Ali Ahmed Nasr, voiced his hope they took the knowledge they gained and used it to implement positive changes at their respective prisons.

The Regional Director for the UNDP, Steve Moore, stated that “the way a prison treats its inmates is a good indication of how a society treats its citizens.” He added that he was pleased with the participants’ commitment to improving the conditions of the state’s prisons.

The ceremony was for the conclusion of a five-day workshop conducted by UNAMID on Basic Prison Duties, which was held for prison guards and social workers from institutions all over North Darfur. The workshop was organised by the Mission’s Rule of Law-Prison Advisory Unit in partnership with the UNDP and the State Prison Authorities.

The 36 participants came from seven institutions in the state, including Shallah Federal Prison, the second largest in Sudan, for which UNAMID is funding a new ward. Among the subjects they covered was prison management, humane treatment of inmates, international prison standards, general health and hygiene, the use of weapons and force as well as issues of child protection, gender and human rights.

The facilitators were officers from UNAMID’s Human Rights and Rule of Law divisions. The Director of Prisons, who even taught one of the modules, thanked UNAMID for its dedication and contributions to improving the state of Darfur’s prisons.

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