Al-Amn Magazine

He expressed his thanks to His Excellency the Minister of Interior for his interest and instructions to achieve success in the alternative penalties and open prisons programme, noting the importance of the announcement by His Excellency the Minister of Interior regarding the establishment of an international-level training center for alternative penalties. The Director General of the General Department for the Implementation of Sentences and Alternative Penalties indicated during the conference sessions that efforts are continuing to address the challenges related to the implementation of alternative penalties. This is achieved through launching awareness campaigns, organizing workshops, and building effective community partnerships with educational and social institutions, with the aim of instilling a comprehensive reform culture in society. He noted that joint coordination between the Ministry of Interior, the Supreme Judicial Council, the Ministry of Justice, and relevant authorities contributes to achieving the law’s reform objectives. He pointed out that the Alternative Penalties Law covers all nationalities and age groups, without changing the nature of the crime or the length of the sentence, provided they adhere to good behavior and meet the prescribed financial requirements. He explained that the development of the alternative penalties system included expanding the areas of benefit from the law by introducing new mechanisms such as electronic monitoring, amending attendance requirements, and adding innovative measures such as the participation of beneficiaries in UN programs and health activities, in addition to enabling attendance via electronic platforms. Developing inmates’ skills Major General Ahmed Gamal El-Din Amara, Undersecretary of the General Administration of the Community Protection Sector of the Arab Republic of Egypt, highlighted Egypt’s experience in the field of reform and rehabilitation within the framework of the modern strategy launched in 2021 to replace old prisons, which were located within a large population centre. These were replaced with new, advanced, and modern reform centers with a rehabilitation program for inmates that aligns with the modern strategy for human rights principles. He pointed to the major shift in the philosophy of dealing with prisons, as the state has moved from the concept of traditional punishment to a model of reform and rehabilitation. He explained that a number of old prison reform and rehabilitation centres, which were located within the confines of a residential area, were demolished and replaced with new reform centres with modern facilities. A preemptive penal approach Dr. Ali Al Zaabi, Director of the Federal Police Follow-up Department in the Shaikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Khalifa Major General Ahmed Gamal El-Din Amar Dr. Ali Al Zaabi