The Ruler of Sharjah, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, has enacted a law aimed at reorganising the correctional institution within the Emirate. This new legislation outlines a comprehensive framework to enhance security, rehabilitation, and the overall treatment of inmates, ensuring their dignity and rights are preserved.
Objectives of the Law
The primary objectives of the law are multifaceted:
- To establish overarching policies that promote security and reform.
- To solidify principles based on social defence, making punishment a means to guard the community.
- To provide a safe environment that upholds the dignity of inmates and safeguards their rights.
- To enhance the social, psychological, and cultural rehabilitation of those sentenced to incarceration.
Scope and Structure
This law applies to the correctional institution in the emirate and any other establishments created to meet similar objectives, including designated sites for pre-trial detention that fall outside the main facility’s jurisdiction.
A local rehabilitation and reform institution, designated as the “Correctional Institution,” will be established in the emirate, operating under the administrative and financial authority of the Sharjah Police General Headquarters. The principal location will be in the city of Sharjah, with provisions for the creation of branches or additional locations across other cities and areas in the emirate, subject to approval from the Executive Council.
Institutional Divisions
The law stipulates the division of the institution into the following categories:
- A correctional facility for men.
- A correctional facility for women.
- A centre for juveniles who have been sentenced to incarceration or custody, ensuring gender separation within its operations.
Comprehensive Legal Framework
The law encompasses a wide range of regulations concerning various aspects of the correctional institution’s administration. This includes guidelines for its construction, supervision, management, and data management, alongside protocols for inspections, visitor regulations, and the treatment of inmates. Furthermore, it addresses healthcare, social welfare, education, cultural programmes, disciplinary offences, penalties, the release of inmates, age categories of detainees, and the privileges accorded to them.
This law represents a significant step in reinforcing the rehabilitation and reform framework within the emirate, aiming to better serve both the inmates and the broader community.