DG Manneh highlighted a remarkable decrease in the number of ex-convicts reoffending and returning to prison. He credits this significant improvement to the skills training programmes implemented by prison authorities in collaboration with the government, international partners, and other organisations over the past few years.
“Our primary focus has shifted towards rehabilitation. Since 2017, we have been dedicated to providing skill training for prisoners in collaboration with the Insight Training Centre, backed by international donors such as UNDP and various other agencies.”
“Since 2017, we have observed prisoners receiving training and certification from the nation's accreditation body. Numerous inmates have participated in these programmes, leading to a significant number of graduates.”
“This initiative has coincided with a notable decline in recidivism, with fewer individuals reoffending and returning to prison. Such positive outcomes can be attributed to the proactive efforts of both the government and prison management over recent years.”
“Many individuals who have completed this training programme are now excelling in their personal developments, actively striving to enhance the lives and livelihoods of their families. I can confidently say that none of the participants in this training have returned to prison due to criminal offenses. Furthermore, Insight Training has taken the commendable initiative of appointing some of these former prisoners as trainers, which is a significant advantage for the GPS.”
Prisons, he said, are fundamentally tasked with the responsibilities of incarceration, rehabilitation, reform, and reintegration—principles that align with international best practices.
“However, this was not always the case. When I first joined the prison system, the focus of the Gambia Prison Services (GPS) was primarily on incarceration, with little attention given to reform and reintegration efforts. Since the government changed in 2017, there has been a renewed commitment to enhancing rehabilitation, reform initiatives, and successful reintegration of inmates into society,” he emphasised.
“Since 2017, there has been remarkable progress in the feeding of prisoners. Their diets have greatly improved, and we are now committed to providing nutritious meals, which have contributed to reduction in health complications.”
Each year, he went on, the government increases the budget allocated for inmates during the budget formulation process. “Additionally, we can proudly say that we now have qualified healthcare professionals working within the prison system—something that was not previously available, as we relied entirely on the country's main referral hospital.”
“We have all heard testimonies from various witnesses during the past TRRC, highlighting that many inmates endured violations of their rights. However, I can confidently assure you that those days are behind us since I took over as head of the prison. The current government is fully dedicated to upholding the rights of every citizen. There has not been a single instance of a prison officer being accused of human rights violations from 2017 to the present.”
"We are currently prioritising the training of our officers on various important topics, including human rights. Recently, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) successfully trained over 50 of our officers on these critical issues. As a result, most of our officers are now well-informed about human rights and related matters.”
“We have accomplished a great deal, and we are poised to launch even more initiatives with the support of the government and other partners. In 2017, numerous organisations, including Justice Defenders began collaborating with the prison system to drive positive change.”
“Before the government change in 2017, the prison had only a few of university graduates. However, we can now boast of significant number of graduates, many of whom are actively pursuing their degrees at the University of The Gambia and other higher education institutions.”
