Abu Dhabi prisons placed under new management

Control of correctional services to be transferred from police to judicial department

Abu Dhabi, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, May 18, 2014:
The exterior of one of the four houses for male 'sons', as the inmates are called at Al Mafraq Juvenile Welfare Centre, inside the center's compound in Al Mafraq, about 30 km from Abu Dhabi, on Sunday, May 18, 2014. Al Mafraq Juvenile Welfare Centre, a correctional facility, has two sections, male and female. The male section comprises of four houses, three of which are currently full. The female section has two houses, one for female juvenile offenders and one for adult female offenders, mothers with their children under the age of seven, mostly infants.
(Silvia Razgova / The National)

Reporter: Shareena Al Nowais
Section: National
Usage: undated

The new law issued by President Sheikh Mohamed will come into effect on January 1, 2024. Silvia Razgova / The National

Aug 23, 2023

Abu Dhabi's prisons will be placed under new management from next year.

Control of correctional and juvenile facilities will be transferred from Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters to Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

President Sheikh Mohamed, as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, has issued a law paving the way for the change to take effect on January 1, 2024.

Rehabilitation of prisoners is a key element of correctional strategies, officials say.

There are several programmes for UAE citizen inmates that offer employment opportunities for them when they complete their sentences.

UAE leaders pardon more than 2,600 prisoners for Eid Al Adha

Earlier this year cooking classes were launched in Dubai Central Jail as part of a rehabilitation initiative to equip prisoners with the skills to reintegrate into society after their release.

More than 30 prisoners have joined the cooking workshops, which are led by professional chefs.

The initiative – called Culinary Arts – was launched by the General Department of Punitive and Correctional Establishments, with the Emirates Literature Foundation and Abu Dhabi National Hotels.

Updated: August 23, 2023, 1:19 PM