19 May 2014 - In an effort to boost the skills of prison authorities, UNMISS launched a two-week training in supervisory management today in Aweil, Northern Bahr El-Ghazal State.

State Prisons Director Major General Paul Nyon Atem urged the 20 service officers from Aweil Central Prison and the state’s counties who are participating in the course to use it to improve service delivery.

“Our objective is to give you appropriate knowledge and skills so that when we are retired you will remain resourceful personnel,” Gen. Atem said. “Take it (the course) seriously. Put it in practice when you are doing your daily work.”

UNMISS Acting State Coordinator Numa Shams urged trainees to rise to the challenge of “correcting” prisoners’ behaviour.

“Your job is to support people so that they become corrected and become productive citizens for their state, changing the behavior of a person during his/her stay in your facility,” Ms. Shams said.

Topics covered will include prison inspection, supervisory skills, classification and segregations of prisoners, UN Minimum Standard Rules for treatment of prisoners, prison escapes and searches, Universal Declaration on Human Rights, prison riots and gender-based violence.