In a new international achievement for the Alternative Sentencing Project and the Open Prisons Programme, which derives its foundations from the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Director-General of Verdict Enforcement and Alternative Sentencing Shaikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Khalifa, received the International Accreditation Certification of Community Housing for Open Prisons approved by the American Correctional Association (ACA) for the Open Prisons Programme.
Director-general of Verdict Enforcement and Alternative Sentencing praised the royal directives of His Majesty the King, to improve the application of the provisions of the Alternative Penal Code and the implementation of the Open Prisons Programme, noting the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister to provide opportunities for beneficiaries to reintegrate into society.
He also appreciated the support of His Excellency Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa to the Alternative Sentencing Project and the Open Prisons Programme, which is considered one of the initiatives of the National Plan to Promote the Spirit of Belonging to the Nation and Reinforce the Value of Citizenship (Bahrainouna).
He explained that the directorate obtained the accreditation certificate after passing the foundations and standards set by the association as the first entity outside the United States of America to obtain the accreditation, which reflects the professionalism of performance and quality of work, and confirms commitment to all foundations and standards followed globally in the fields of rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
The Director-General added that members of the Alternative Sentencing Directorate were trained to audit the working mechanisms of the Open Prisons Programme to confirm their compatibility with international standards, which included security, health, rehabilitation and administrative standards. The Open Prisons Programme obtained a certificate of accreditation in the shortest audit period. The standards followed by the organisation include administrative, security, health and legal matters, which reflect the continuous performance towards professionalism on which the programme works.
It is worth noting that the American Correctional Association is one of the oldest regulatory bodies that supervises inmate detention centres internationally and grants a certificate of accreditation to correctional institutions that pass all 137 international standards related to human rights.
