Algeria has accepted recommendations by an international conference to improve prison conditions and to help prisoners reintegrate into society upon release.
The meeting, which took place recently in Algiers, came up with more than 60 recommendations. The 350 participants included magistrates, prosecutors, policy makers, practitioners and members of the diplomatic community.
The conference was part of a program that United Nations Development Program (UNDP) began with the Ministry of Justice last year to modernize the prison system. Experts from Algeria, Canada, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, and representatives from international organizations such as Penal Reform International, made presentations.
The conference called for improvements in the capacities of prison personnel, such as establishing training centers, introduction of information and communications technology for better management of inmates, and family spaces in prisons to promote stronger relationships between young prisoners and their families.
The conference recommended steps to promote respect for prisoners and their human rights, improved health services, and alternatives to imprisonment, such as community service, in some cases.
Participants urged that special programs be set up for vulnerable groups in prisons, including youth, women, and the disabled and elderly, and called for support services for families of prisoners.
The conference advocated close cooperation between civil society organizations and state agencies, including social workers and youth centers, to help released prisoners become productive members of society. It also called for collaboration between universities and the prison system on research to promote reform. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
