Over 20 managers and staff members from different Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) centres will today conclude a training that seeks to strengthen their capacity as RCS continues to seek to professionalise their officers.

The four-day training, that is underway in Kigali, is facilitated by International Committee of Red Cross in partnership with the International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS).

Speaking at the opening of the training earlier this week, the head of delegation of ICRC, Pascal Cuttat, said the training strengthens the RCS’s commitment to the respect of detainees’ rights and dignity.

"As you all know, prisons or correctional areas are built to keep human beings, their management should be done in a creative manner. Therefore, during this period, participants will discuss, share their knowledge and experiences on various issues, especially on how to identify detainees’ needs and humanitarian challenges in detention, how to develop a new understanding, to plan for action and to bring about change.” Cuttat said.

Commissioner General of RCS, George Rwigamba, speaking to journalists, said that despite the trainings they have always organised for their managers, there is always need for more especially from more experienced personnel in the field.

"I believe our officers can learn something different from these more experienced trainers.

‘‘At the end of this course, participants will have learnt better approaches on how to treat and manage prisoners as well as meet the international standards treatment of prisoners and management of prisons.” Rwigamba said.

Managers will learn to use ‘gap analysis’ as the basis of measuring current performance against international standards. Exercises will be given to provide opportunity for each participant to use a prison system known to him or her so that learning can be practical.

The course will also introduce a three stage method of creative problem solving and four different ways of thinking. Visioning and ‘Creative swiping’ of tried and tested solutions will be used to assist new designs for prison operations.

Ever since ICRC established its permanent delegation in Kigali in 1990, it has been working closely with the government to ensure respect of detainees’ rights.

Furthermore, ICRC is running a pilot project in Huye and Ngoma correctional facilities to improve healthcare in detention to ensure that every detainee has access to primary health care.

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