21 November 2012 - Heeding human rights reports citing shortfalls in its prisons, South Sudan was seeking more effective ways of rehabilitating offenders, the Presidential Advisor for Legal Affairs said in Juba today.

Opening the third National Prison Service Development Committee seminar, Telar Riing Deng said the new country faced challenges in prison systems as it did in several other sectors.

The seminar, under the theme "Strategies to Attaining a Humane and Accountable Prison System in South Sudan – The Role of Paralegals, Community Service and Probation Service", was organized by the South Sudan National Prisons Services, with logistical support from UNMISS Rule of Law and Security Institutions Support Office (ROLSISO).

"There is no denying certain things like ... prolonged and arbitrary detention and failure to inform inmates about their rights," said Mr. Deng.

"However, when talking about humane imprisonment, you cannot just make developed countries the yardstick," he added. "The criticism should take into account the attempts that we have made to correct the failings in the first year of our independence."

UNMISS Special Representative of the Secretary General Hilde F. Johnson commended the government's efforts, such as formulating a high level panel to oversee prison issues.

The panel, consisting of Chief Justice Chan Reec Madut, Director General of the prisons service Gen. Abel Makoi Wol and Inspector General of Police Gen. Tito Acuil, attended the seminar.

"Making this new nation a better is a collective effort," said Ms. Johnson. "That includes giving prisoners the opportunity to correct their ways."

She said UNMISS would assist the government, especially with capacity building.
Experts from the UN African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI) in Uganda, the National Paralegal Service of Malawi and the Probation and Community Services in Kenya, shared experiences from their organizations on alternatives to imprisonment.

UNMISS ROLSISO Director Waldemar Vrey said the seminar was a positive step in the right direction.

"Having the high level panel all here and working together makes this a landmark event," he said. "We hope that the technical panel will follow suit. The challenges are vast but with collaboration we have a chance to address them."