EU lawmakers reviewed Bahrain’s alternative sentencing and rehabilitation programmes during a visit to the Open Prisons Complex.

The Director-General of Verdict Enforcement and Alternative Sentencing, Shaikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Khalifa, received a European Parliament delegation led by MEP Reinhold Lopatka, Chair of the Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula (DARP), at the Open Prisons Complex.

Shaikh Khalid welcomed the delegation and stressed the importance of communication, expertise exchange and learning about Bahrain’s experience in alternative sentencing and open prisons.

The delegation was briefed on the Alternative Sentencing System and the Open Prisons Programme, including recent developments in services provided to beneficiaries and mechanisms used to support their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

The briefing covered programmes designed to develop beneficiaries’ skills, strengthen their sense of responsibility and encourage positive participation in society.

The delegation also learned about education, training, employment and social support initiatives implemented by the General Directorate to prepare beneficiaries for their return to society and effective participation in community life.

During a tour of the Open Prisons Complex, the delegation viewed its facilities and services and was briefed on the environment and programmes provided to support beneficiaries’ reintegration.

At the end of the visit, the delegation praised the programmes and initiatives it reviewed under Bahrain’s Alternative Sentencing System and Open Prisons Programme, highlighting the progress made in supporting beneficiaries’ reintegration into society.