About 30 Correction officers attend training on the Practical application of UN standards and norms

This training focuses on the practical application of United Nations Standards and Norms in Correctional Facilities.

The Commissioner General of RCS, CG Evariste Murenzi, presided over the launch. In his opening remarks, CG Murenzi emphasized Rwanda’s ongoing shift from a punitive approach to a progressive correctional philosophy. He stressed that the three-day training is designed to directly enhance institutional capacity, elevate service delivery, and align prison management with modern global practices.

CG Murenzi urged the attending officers to prioritize inmate welfare, reformation, and robust rehabilitation pathways. Doing so, he noted, is vital for ensuring that offenders successfully and productively reintegrate into society upon their release.

The Commissioner General commended RCS staff and external stakeholders for their shared commitment to maintaining safe, secure, and humane custody.

The capacity-building initiative is a collaborative effort organized by the RCS alongside the Association Rwandaise Pour La Defense Des Droits De L’homme (ARDHO) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

This training brought together the team of 35 participants including 30 Correction officers, 13 of them are RCS staffs in charge of social affairs who address the day-to-day challenges of inmates;13 Registrars responsible for managing judicial files of detainees, 4 officers from RCS Headquarters and 5 Senior staffs from ARDHO.

 It is expected this training to strengthen the practical capacity of participants in applying relevant United Nations standards and norms related to the treatment, protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration of inmates.