Rwanda is set to overhaul its prisons to improve living conditions for inmates across the country.

It also intends to introduce community service as a major part of the sentencing regime for lesser crimes in a bid to reduce prison population.

The plan which is already being implemented looks to increase prisoner productivity by improving the existing correctional regimes to include skills development.

As part of the exercise, existing prisons will be upgraded to conform with international standards — a process that will see some prisons closed gradually.

While the country has 13 prisons and one children’s rehabilitation centre, plans are underway to close four prisons which will be turned into development centres that will include museums and technical workshops.

“There is a general policy to decongest prisons by reducing build-up across the country Prisons should be a transition and not a store for people. Prisoners should go there to reflect, repent and feel remorseful so that when they get out, they re-integrate back into the community,” Tharcisse Karugarama, the Rwandan Minister of Justice told The East African last week.

The population of prisoners in the country has drastically reduced from approximately 200,000 immediately after 1994 to approximately 50,000 today.
As part of the reforms, Rwanda National Prisons was recently renamed Rwanda Correctional Services.
The exercise is also intended to reduce government spending on maintenance of prisons.

Currently, the government spends approximately $17 million on prison welfare, although part of the budget is funded by resources generated from economic activities carried out by prisoners.

“It is very expensive to keep prisoners that are not productive because they need medical care and feeding,” said Mr Karugarama, who also serves as the Attorney General.

Government is also pushing for community service to be an integral part of sentencing for lesser crimes in order to reduce the number of prisoners held.