Current projects in the Middle East and North Africa region including the following:
Penitentiary System Reform in Sudan
PRI is undertaking a short-term assessment of the capacity of Sudan’s prison system and the extent to which it complies with international human right standards as well as a legal review. The findings and recommendations from the assessment will be shared with authorities with the aim of improving conditions and treatment, amending the legal and procedural framework and bringing policies and practices in line with international human right standards. This assessment is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Support to the Algerian Prison Directorate in Mainstreaming a Human Rights-Based Approach
Funded by the FCDO and in partnership with the BRitish Embassy in Algiers, this project aims to improve the protection of human rights of people in prison. PRI is working with the Prison Directorate in Algeria to review and amend the current strategy of the Prison directorate developed for the years 2018-2020. The adoption of the previous strategy had an impact on enhancing the Prison Directorate’s capacity, management, enhanced the protection of prisoners’ rights and helped the Prison Directorate to be more efficient in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic by following action plan that was developed as part of the strategy and related to response to crises and emergencies.
Penitentiary system reform in Yemen
A four-year project (December 2014–November 2018), funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which aims to reform the penitentiary system in line with international human rights; develop the capacity of civil society groups to initiate projects to support people in the criminal justice system and to protect the rights of prisoners; and implement alternative sanctions and diversion mechanisms at community and police levels.
Previous projects:
Modernising the Tunisian penitentiary system through reducing overcrowding and developing rehabilitation services
This two-year project (October 2015–October 2017), supported by the European Union, works with the Tunisian Prison Department to improve conditions of detention and implement rehabilitation and reintegration programmes to support men, women and children deprived of their liberty in the country.
Developing alternatives to imprisonment in Sousse, Tunisia
This two-year project (October 2015–October 2017), supported by the US government, sees PRI work with a range of criminal justice stakeholders to set up a fully functioning pilot system of alternatives to imprisonment in the governorate of Sousse. It builds on a small pilot undertaken by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2013 and on advocacy and awareness raising work PRI has been doing with government stakeholders and local civil society in the country.
Countering violent extremism in Morocco
A one-year project (December 2016–November 2017), supported by the British Embassy in Morocco, which aims to counter violent extremism behind bars through applying human rights standards in detention and promoting reintegration. The project seeks to build the capacity of prison department staff, as well as raising the level of cooperation between government bodies, national institutions and civil society mandated by law or capable of intervening in rehabilitation and preparation for release.
Mainstreaming a human rights-based approach in the administration of the criminal justice system in Algeria
Funded by the British Embassy in Algeria, this two-year project (April 2017–March 2019) aims to promote the administration of criminal justice in Algeria in line with recent international standards and best practices, including: reforming the penitentiary system to meet international human rights standards, mainstreaming a human-rights based approach in the work of security forces, developing a human-rights response to counter radicalisation and violent extremism within the criminal justice system, and promoting monitoring and oversight of places of detention.