Although efforts are being made across North Africa and the Middle East to ensure criminal justice systems reflect international standards and comply with human rights law, there are some significant challenges for reform.
These include prison overcrowding, delays in the trial process, poor coordination between criminal justice agencies, lack of resources and, in some countries of political will, and a lack of reliable data about prison systems.
PRI has been working in the region since 1991. The MENA programme is based in Amman, Jordan and currently operates in Algeria, Jordan, Sudan and Yemen.
Current work focuses on:
- developing gender-sensitive and child-friendly justice systems
- supporting the development and effectiveness of legal aid systems
- promoting non-custodial sanctions, particularly for vulnerable groups
- supporting countries to adopt national and integrated plans for reform
- building regional human resource capacity through networks of expertise
- promoting the abolition of the death penalty.
Latest updates
Press release
Inclusive security sector reform and migration governance in Lebanon: Perspectives from national institutions
Amman, Jordan – 10 July 2025 Penal Reform International, as part of the MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP), funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and managed by Nuffic, successfully concluded a six-day training workshop in Amman, Jordan, held from 5 to 10 July 2025, titled “Inclusive Security Sector Reform and Migration Governance […]
News
Workshops on the treatment of imprisoned people in Qatar
In Doha, Qatar, the National Human Rights Committee, the Ministry of Interior’s Human Rights Department, the General Directorate of Penal and Correctional Institutions and Penal Reform International launched a series of workshops aimed at enhancing the treatment of people in prison in correctional and penal institutions, in accordance with international standards and national legislation. The […]