The Regional Prisons Commander Northern, Assistant Commissioner of Prisons (ACP) Margaret Orik Obonyo, has urged prisons officers to remain disciplined and obedient in implementing lawful orders. The officers are being trained on how to manage violent extremist prisoners, prevent radicalization, and safeguard human rights in prisons.
ASP Orik made this call on Monday, 9 September 2024, during the training of Seventy prison officers drawn from the Northern, North Western, and Mid-North regions who are participating in a 5-day training on Managing Violent Extremism Prisoners (VEPs) in GULU City.
The training is organized by the Uganda Prisons Service (UPS), UNODC Eastern Africa, and the EU in Uganda.
Orik who represented the Commissioner General of Prisons (CGP), emphasized the role prison staff play in preventing radicalization and rehabilitating offenders.
According to the statement released by UPS, the program is part of a nationwide initiative to train over 400 prison officers.
“This program is part of a nationwide initiative to train over 400 prison officers, bolstering Uganda’s counter-terrorism efforts,” UPS stated
The statement further stated that the previous trainings in other regions have yielded positive results, paving the way for a safer future in Combating Violent Extremism, Prevention of Radicalisation to Violence in Prisons and Human Rights Safeguards.
Last week, UPS trained prison officers from the Kigezi, Kooki, Southern, and South Western regions, and they were equipped with skills to counter violent extremism in prisons.
With this project, the Ugandan government and its allies are taking a proactive stance toward resolving the complicated problems associated with violent extremism and ensuring the protection of human rights inside the prison system.