Half of these detention centres were overcrowded and most of the prisoners did not benefit from any rehabilitation or reintegration programme, something especially affecting the reintegration of women into society. Children living with their mothers in prisons is of particular concern. 156 children were with their mothers in all prisons in Sudan at the time of the study (60 in the assessed prisons) and had no access to basics such as milk and diapers.[1] 

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has exacerbated the already dire conditions of prisoners in the country. Massive displacements, resources scarcity, breakdown of governance systems and destruction of infrastructures have severely impacted the prison system. As more areas have become conflict zones, the ability of authorities to maintain prison standards has reduced. This results in worsening conditions of overcrowding as more individuals are detained, often without due process.

The conflict also disrupted supply chains, leading to even poorer nutrition and health status of the prisoners. The conflict also diverts government attention and resources away from essential reforms and humanitarian interventions needed in detention facilities.

With the support of the European Union, a 3-year project started by Penal Reform International in 2023 to improve the living conditions of women, children and young prisoners to be implemented in six states of the country. The objective is to enhance the rule of law in Sudan by promoting access to justice while increasing gender equality and human rights of those under detention.

Basic services but not only

In the first year of the project some of the activities focused on upgrading living conditions, including dormitories, toilets, health clinics, kitchens, sewage system and providing clean drinking water in Wad Madani prison, Port Sudan and at Kassala prison. Creating units for around 24 children staying at prisons with their mothers at Wad Madani prison and Port Sudan has been part of the improved services to women in detention. 

But a holistic approach is needed to enhance the support to those women. In this vein a one-stop centre that provides legal support, mental health and referral services for women victims of gender-based violence in Kassala was created and a psychological support programme for women in Port Sudan prisons started.

A help line was also established, which will be operational in the second year of the project. That facility would focus on the provision of legal assistance services for women victims of GBV, the poor and most vulnerable. Legal aid offices inside prisons to support the releasing of women and young prisoners are also under establishment.  

Remarkable achievements of Penal Reform International under this initiative was to control a cholera outbreak in Madani prison in November 2023, saving the lives of 700 prisoners and the prison staff, and to terminate the refurbishment of the women prison just before the advancement of the conflict to this area in December 2023. 

At present “a farm is under development at Kassala prison, with the aim at planting 20 acres with tomato, onion, pepper, chilli pepper, eggplant with the aim of using it as vocational programme for prisoners and secure food and respond to the famine humanitarian crisis threatening Sudan”; by doing so more than 2000 people, including prisoners, prison staff and their families and members of the surrounding community of IDPs will have access to food as part of this initiative. 

The fact that women constitute a minority within the prison population in Sudan has significant implications for the services provided to them, leading to increased discrimination and neglect. “Being outnumbered, the specific needs of women often receive less attention in policy planning and resource allocation, resulting in facilities and programmes that are primarily designed for the majority male population,” mentions Taghreed Jaber, Regional Director for MENA from Penal Reform International. 

“These conditions have several implications: the lack of gender-specific healthcare, including gynaecological and prenatal care, insufficient protection against gender-based violence within prisons, or absence of rehabilitation and vocational training programmes. These are especially crucial for reintegration of women detainees as it does not only affect their incarceration conditions but also hampers their rehabilitation and prospects for reintegration into their communities,” explains Taghreed Jaber, Regional Director for MENA from Penal Reform International

“We are targeting the 8,000 individuals who remained in the system throughout the war, emphasising the EU's role in facilitating access to justice by supporting legal aid for those in need. Our legal aid scheme is designed to assist everyone who cannot afford legal representation, with a particular focus on supporting the impoverished,” Taghreed Jaber, Regional Director for MENA from Penal Reform International

As the team at Penal Reform International underlines, “In times of conflict, the most vulnerable often suffer the most. Prisons are no exception. Supporting prison systems during conflicts ensures the protection of human rights, prevents further humanitarian crises, and promotes stability and justice. Let's not forget those behind bars — their well-being is a measure of our humanity.”

[1] Prisons in Sudan: Assessment and Situational Analysis, March 2021