UNOCI launches training course for 3000 guards at Abidjan prison (MACA)

A training course for 3,072 prison warders in Côte d'Ivoire organised by the Rule of Law Section of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) started on Monday, 31 March 2014, in Abidjan. The first phase of the training course, which is expected to last for five weeks, started with 400 agents in Abidjan prison, known as the Maison d'arrêt et de correction d'Abidjan (MACA).

Tantago Simadia of the Penitentiary Unit of UNOCI's Rule of Law Section in charge of training explained that the aim of the course is to strengthen the capacity of the agents to carry out their work according to international standards with regard managing a prison. "The training will focus on the use of force in prison. We noticed that during the recent troubles in prisons that agents have not really mastered how to go about restoring order, said Mr. Simadia.

For the Director of Prison Administration, Ouattara Babacar, providing training for the prison guards would prepare them for reinsertion of detainees. "This is our objective. It is an aspect which is often blocked out but which is one of the main missions of the prison administration," said Mr, Babacar.

The training course comprises two phases : theory and practice. During the theory phase, the prison guards will familiarise themselves with the rules governing their duties. They will learn the texts in order to be able to use them in a better way. The practical training will be done with exercises which will show the agents the techniques of maintaining order in a prison.

Several themes will be discussed during the training course, including ethics , professionalism, carrying out searches, managing security posts, prison regulation, the use of force or arms in a prison, health issues, infrastructure and hygiene in prison, prisoners' rights, prison registry and sentencing process.