Tamam: Remote trials reduce the risks of transporting detainees, and artificial intelligence ensures prison transparency
Mohamed Saleh Tamam, the Director General of the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration, confirmed that technological means enhance service quality, performance efficiency, transparency, and governance in the overall management of prison institutions.
In a speech during the seventh periodic conference of prison administration associations focused on “Technology in Managing Prison Institutions in Africa,” held on Monday morning in Tamsna, Tamam stated, “The topic of digitization is highly relevant given the important roles played by electronic management, digitization, and artificial intelligence in the field of administration.”
He pointed out that “the technological means provide quality services, performance efficiency, transparency, and governance in the overall management of prison institutions,” urging the necessity for this sector to benefit from these significant technological transformations, improve its performance, and work alongside other security systems to combat sophisticated criminal practices, especially cybercrime and transnational crimes.
Tamam highlighted that “in the context of establishing effective prison management and rehabilitation foundations, the General Delegation has integrated electronic management and digitization as key components within its strategic plan, in line with relevant national directions.”
In this context, he indicated that “the delegation has developed software programs for several managerial aspects within prison institutions and central services, which include executing sentences, human resources, detainee funds, detainee purchases, complaints, family visits, the transfer of detainees, and health files of detainees.”
Tamam revealed that “to modernize the educational and training services directed at inmates, remote education programs have been launched through the establishment of multifunctional studios to facilitate university spaces created within prison institutions in partnership with Moroccan universities, and work is ongoing, according to him, to implement a digital school in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education, Pre-School and Sports. Additionally, the information system for social administration (SID) continues to monitor and accompany training and education programs for inmates.”
The Director General considered that “remote trials or digital courts adopted by the Ministry of Justice represent one of the most prominent tools for judicial efficiency through the use of technology and information systems, given the speed and effectiveness they provide in adjudicating cases brought before the courts, in addition to reducing the risks associated with transporting detainees to courts and optimizing human resources.”
He noted that “this conference is an opportunity to enhance the performance of the African Prison Administrations Association and develop its assigned tasks,” adding that establishing a permanent headquarters and secretariat would create a dynamic environment for its work by developing coordination mechanisms in its fields of intervention.
The Director General of Prison Administration emphasized that reviewing the financial contributions of member administrations and seeking new and innovative funding sources could provide additional financial resources that would allow for the successful implementation of its work programs and activities, ensuring the achievement of set objectives.
Tamam called for the establishment of permanent joint working committees to intensify coordination and exchange between African countries in the field of prison administration and reintegration, spawning working groups focused on using artificial intelligence in managing prison institutions and rehabilitating detainees for reintegration, as well as committing to environmental considerations in managing prison institutions and establishing an organizational structure specific to prison intelligence.
