3.1.6 The essential aim of the penitentiary system will be the reformation, the
integration of the mother to the family and social rehabilitation
60. Article 30 (1) (f) requires that States have a prison system which has as its
essential aim the 'reformation, the integration of the mother to the family and social
rehabilitation.' This has implications for law, policy and training on how to deal with
children of parents who have been arrested and imprisoned particularly regarding
how children can contact the parent and be contacted by them, and follow-up by
social welfare services to ensure children 'outside' have their rights protected and
are not subject to social exclusion or discrimination.
61. On the African continent multiple initiatives have been undertaken to promote the
reformation of prisons to ensure that inmates are rehabilitated and integrated into
society upon being discharged from correctional facilities. These include the
following:
(a) The Kampala Declaration on Prison Conditions in Africa of 1996;
(b) The Arusha Declaration on Good Prison Practice of 1999; and
(c) The Ouagadougou Declaration and Plan of Action on Accelerating Prisons
and Penal Reforms in Africa of 2002.
These include measures such as:
(a) Promoting rehabilitation and development of programs during the period of
imprisonment or non-custodial sentence schemes;
(b) Ensuring that unsentenced prisoners have access to these programs;
(c) Providing civic and social education;
(d) Providing social and psychological support with adequate professionals;
(e) Promoting contact with the family and community by:
(i) Encouraging civil society groups to visit the prison and work with
offenders;
(ii) Improving the environment for visitors so that physical contact is
permissible;
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