To make the half way home center a better transit for prisoners with less than 3 years left on their sentence, ground research has been conducted to find what would be the main focus
ABOUT US
Organization Dignity in Detention Rwanda (DIDE RWANDA) is an organization registered as a local non-profit organisation in Rwanda as DIDE RWANDA.
Our mission is to improve the conditions of children and female detainees through their education and reintegration in their respective communities at the completion of their sentence. Children and female detainees tend to be neglected, which worsens their vulnerability.
OUR VISION
Promote a secure environment for people in conflict with the law and their families, during the detention period and/ or after their release.
OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANIZATION
• To promote dignity and human rights in particular defending detainees.
• To develop the culture of resilience for the safe family environment of detainees and the community to a better reintegration.
• To develop a follow up program of ex-prisoners after release
• To accompany and facilitate the social and professional reintegration of the laureates of the youth rehabilitation centres
• To promote community approach interventions of mental health issues targeting vulnerable groups.
• To contribute to the prevention and fight against domestic violence’s, family-based conflicts, and human trafficking in the Rwandan society.
AREA OF INTERVENTION
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): development of different Tools for mental heath screening and treatment, training of Prisoners Peer Educators (PE), Rehabilitation of prison premises dedicated to target groups,
Education: Formal school education (P1 to S3), Vocational and Technical training, Adult Literacy, ECD for children living with mothers in prison under 3 years old.
Infrastructure: space for MHPSS, Build ECD for children living with mothers in prison under 3 years old. Construction of halfway home transition center.
Reconciliation: Supporting Victims and prisoner s Families link with Cooperatives via ABAHUZA,
Gender Equality: DIDE RWANDA pioneered gender equality in prisons in Rwanda through advocating for upholding of the rights of female prisoners. This
resulted in creation of separate prisons for women (e.g., Ngoma Prison), but also implementation, in partnership with different public and non-governmental
organisations,of projects and programs aiming at empowering women and in prisons to claim their rights, and get prepared for their successful reintegration in their respective communities at the term of their sentence.
Advocacy: DIDE RWANDA advocated for access to formal education for minors and children in prisons. DIDE RWANDA also advocated for equal rights for female and male inmates, and the promotion of affirmative actions to ensure that female prisoners can access their human rights such as right to privacy, right to equal treatment and non-discrimination
RECENT ACTIVITIES:
I. Current activities focused on mental health/ rehabilitation of current inmates and preparation of prisoners’ reintegration (current and released). In mental health, therapeutic groups have been set, and guided by trained peer educators, with the follow up of psychologists for RCS and DIDE. Psychotherapy, literacy, vocational training and ECD for children living with their mothers incarcerated are activities in which DIDE intervenes to support inmates in their imprisonment and prepare them to be released without being disoriented with real life.
a) Psychological intervention
From the beginning of the project, DiDe has set up a psychological care system that favors the peer support approach in collaboration with prison staff. This methodology of implementation of the project activities using people close to detainees requires capacity building for staff as well as that of peer educators (selected prisoners)
1. Discussion groups 2. Training of peer educator
Above: Creation and animation of therapeutic groups
Participation in talk groups allowed the women to open up in depth, given the details they were able to give about their past and their feelings at the time. This helps them endure their life in prison and prepare for their reintegration once released. - There is a need to capitalize on the testimonies coming out of the support groups - Literacy was the key for incarcerated women to follow trades training - Professional training also played the role of occupational therapy - Lack of visits is one of the main vulnerability factors for women inmates
II. Literacy and Occupation Training.
1. Literacy for women 2. Tairoring inside prison
3 Alphabetization at juvenile detention
In this project, it was planned to set up a literacy program following the "functional literacy" approach in collaboration with the RCS and the Ministry of Education. During this reporting period 152 women have followed and successfully completed literacy training courses.
III. RECONCILIATION THROUGH FORGIVENESS
DiDé organisation is carrying out psychosocial rehabilitation to help prisoners who committed the genocide against the Tutsi to better understand their situation and to re-establish social link on the one hand, and on the other hand, by preparing victims, families on both sides (genocide convicts and victims) and the community at large to welcome them back in the society.
The aim of therapeutic groups is the reconciliation between detainees and community members, including survivors. Below pictures illustrate reconciliation day:
Above: Reconciliation session in rusizi and nyamasheke districts
The detainees accompanied in psychosocial counselling and healing sessions were those who were willing to follow a path to reconciliation sessions and join therapeutic groups.
During these reconciliation sessions, 132 victims granted pardon to these inmates, including 53 presented to Rusizi prison, 53 to Nyamagabe prison and 26 to Huye prison. In total 94 inmates’ family members have been presented in those reconciliation events: 37 in Rusizi prison, 38 in Nyamagabe prison and 19 in Huye prison.
The conclusions and recommendations of the assessment were presented to all project partners in a capitalization and wind-up meeting. This meeting was attended by partners from the Central Government, Nyaruguru and Nyamasheke Districts authorities, RCS staff at headquarters and the 3 prisons covered, project focal points, representatives of the Donor (USAID/DIU), representatives of the community (Survivors, family of genocide convicts and ex-prisoners).
Below: CAPITALIZATION MEETING ON RECONCILIATION
IV. INAUGURATION OF E.C.D.(Early Childhood Development)
The project has contributed to the extension and equipment of the ECDC compound. A new hall was constructed to facilitate indoor activities, a kitchen and sanitary blocks were added to the existing settings, Activities were about finalizing the construction works, especially for the kitchen and sanitary block.
Other activities include reunification of 3years old children with foster families in the community and follow-up/facilitation of their relationships with their mothers still in prison.
V. PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHT WITHIN RWANDA’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE
RIGHT AWARENESS CAMPAIN
The campaign has been held in 5(five) Prisons respectively: Nyarugenge, Rwamagana, Bugesera, Ngoma and Nyagatare.
The prisoners receive legal right advice and social mental help by DIDE RWANDA staff experienced in mental health.
With the collaboration with RCS (Rwanda Correction Service) the lawyers of RBJ and other Partners Like Rwanda Bail Association participate in explaining to detainees their legal right and help them get lawyer as the law provide one for
the person in detention.
The collaboration facilitates the work of the management of detainees for their intervention. They are a good result because most people start to understand their right to justice in a good sense matter, but they are still a long way to go.
The campaign has been successful as people are aware of the law and their right to it, with the campaign held in prisons the work to explain to prisoners theirs Rights, come with the help of other areas like health and social reintegration,
prisoners receive help to make them a useful element in the society instead of feeling isolated.
The field team worked closely to the beneficiaries and provide right awareness to the juvenile in nyagatare Detention.
VI. 2nd CONSULTATIVE FORUM
A Second Consultative Forum took place the Thursday 5th of November 2020 at Kigali Marriott Hotel. 108 criminal justice stakeholders attended physically the second Consultative forum respecting the measures put into place by the Rwandan government to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic; additional participants followed the event online, a total of 226 stakeholders attended.
This forum hosted at Marriot Hotel, Kigali, drew officials from Rwanda Correctional Services leadership, Rwanda Bridges to Justice among other stakeholders. This project is implemented in partnership with International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) and financed by the European Union mission in Rwanda.
DIDE organized 8 orientation sessions (or training sessions) for 254 staff in the four prisons where DiDé had not worked before.
During these sessions, DiDé introduced the concepts of mental health and psychosocial well-being of prisoners and defined the role of each staff in the accompaniment of these prisoners from their entry to their liberation.
DiDé organized training workshops for 77 staff stakeholders in criminal justice institutions and staff who oversee mental health in prisons, in district hospitals and Neuro-psychiatric hospitals of Ndera.
6 thematic workshops have been organized to strengthen the capacities of criminal justice stakeholders (lawyers, investigators from Rwanda Investigation Bureau, judges, prosecutors, psychologists, and RCS staff. This brings the total number of criminal justice stakeholders trained by this project to 238.
VII. HALFWAY HOME SOCIAL REINTEGRATION CENTER
Since June 2020, the Ministry of Justice is developing a new correction tool called “Halfway Social Reintegration Centres” together with RCS and DiDe Rwanda.
The use of these “transition homes” is related to the reintegration of the offender into society, which can be effective as a realistic Community framework. With a halfway centre, the confusion, uncertainty, and stress faced by the released offender can be gradually dispelled, allowing pre-release a reasonable period to readjust to an independent living. Transition houses can thus function as a "chamber of decompression" for the offender before the release from a long period of detention.
The policy on alternative measures to imprisonment has been developed.
A site has been identified for the installation of a pilot Halfway Social Reintegration Centre Funding has been mobilized for the architectural studies of the pilot phase. This funding was channelled through DiDe Rwanda. The architectural studies are now available.
A needs assessment has been conducted to better understand the expectations of different stakeholders (prisoners, RCS, district administration, families of prisoners, Civil Society Organizations...). Data collection ended on October 31,2021 and the report is expected before the end of November 2021.
Efforts to mobilize funds for the construction phase are ongoing.
To promote this new concept, the Minister of Justice introduced Stirling Foundation as new partners to support a pilot phase of the project. Down the road, it was proposed to include a 21 partner from the local Civil Society and DiDe was recommended to the Donor who accepted. DiDe was tasked to put together a joint proposal, guided by the “Terms Sheet” sent by the Stirling Foundation.
A grant was approved by the Stirling Foundation for a first phase which covered the architectural study of a pilot centre to be set up in Rwamagana District, Eastern Province. The partners in this venture are MINIJUST/RCS – DIDE - STIRLING FOUNDATION. The grant was signed on 13th July 2020 and implemented over a period of 6 months from July 2020 to January 2021 with the following activities:
The development of a master plan considering all components of the project; and ∙ The development of detailed designs for a pilot phase (Halfway centre for Women pre-release in Rwamagana). The tender process was completed, and Talent Contractors Company was selected to develop the Architectural studies after RCS secured a plot in Muhazi Sector, Rwamagana District. The last validation meeting was organized on December 22, 2020, and the final report including all the designs and technical details was availed on January 5, 2021.
The request for a building permit was successfully submitted to the concerned service in Rwamagana district and Rwanda Housing Authority. RCS and Talent are working together to follow-up of this request. The architectural studies are the first step of the project of setting up a pilot centre to facilitate the social reintegration of to-be-released prisoners, especially women. The studies will help in the raising of funds to implement the project.
1. Training of data collector 3. Groups discussion of former prisoners
2. Site visit where the centre will be built 4. KII interviews
VIII. TOTAL MANAGED FUNDS
S/N PROJECT DONOR TOTAL FUND IN RWF TOTAL FUND IN USD
1
Protecting human rights within Rwanda’s criminal justice (Nyagatare prison, Ngoma, Rwamagana, Nyarugenge,Bugesera prisons)
EU&BHC
175,458,000
180,885
2
Psychosocial reintegration and professional training of women in detention in Ngoma prison
Wallonie Bruxelles international (WBI) & Direction du Developpement et de la cooperation Suisse (DDC)
132,500,000
136,598
3
Halfway House Project - Enhancing the preparation of pre-release inmates in Rwanda: Phase I: Architectural and Technical studies
Stirling Foundation Utah/USA
46,553,632
47,993
4
Rehabilitative justice for renconciliation in Rwanda (Huye, Nyamagabe prison for women, Rusizi prison)
USAID/ Duteze Imbere Ubutabera
116,555,856
120,161
TOTAL
471,067,488
485,637