Twenty prison officers have been trained in Torit, Eastern Equatoria, on promoting and protecting rights of inmates as they await fair trials. These officers will be dispatched to other locations to raise awareness and provide legal support services that are critical in reinforcing rule of law in hard-to-reach areas.

“This training has equipped us with the skills to address the challenges we face while running prison facilities,” says Christina Luka, a participant.  “Now that we have completed the workshop, we will be able to ensure that inmates who are in prolonged detention are treated in keeping with international human rights standards.”

“If there are juveniles who were detained longer than usual, we will check their files and forward their cases to a higher level for a substantial verdict in line with the rule of law,” she added.

The four-day workshop was organized by the National Prison Service of South Sudan in collaboration with the Justice and Human Rights Observatory, and with support from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

“This exercise we have conducted here will fix certain shortcomings that we have identified in the discharge of professional duties,” said Godfrey Victor Bulla, the executive director of Justice and Human Rights Observatory.

The administration of state prisons has expressed confidence in the trained officers, who are expected to take on additional tasks of supervising prison personnel in rural areas.

“Take this chance and absorb the skills passed on to you as guiding tools. It makes you fully competent in exercising your job and will enable you to accomplish your duties more professionally,” said Major General Paul Ador Ader, director of prisons in Eastern Equatoria State, while speaking with newly trained officers.

The partnership between UNMISS and the Justice and Human Rights Observatory is expected to strengthen rule of law institutions, while addressing concerns on access to justice by inmates in prison facilities across South Sudan.

“The scheme provides free legal service to South Sudanese who suffer from prolonged and arbitrary detention and those who do not have legal representation to defend them in courts,” stated Anthony Nwapa, a Human Rights Officer with UNMISS Torit, highlighting the mission’s continued engagement with key stakeholders in improving access to justice in South Sudan.

The Justice and Human Rights Organization is scheduled to facilitate similar trainings in accordance with the national legal aid framework in Juba, Yambio, and Kuajok.