Addis Ababa (AMECO) — Correctional facilities across Ethiopia’s Amhara regional state are set to increase inmate food allowances to cushion against surging inflation, alongside plans to digitise judicial services and strengthen prison security.
The measures were announced during a performance review for the 2018 Ethiopian fiscal year by the Amhara Regional State Correctional Facilities Commission, where regional State authorities outlined strategic priorities for the coming year.
Speaking at the forum, the head of the Amhara Regional State Justice Bureau, Berhanu Goshim, stated that correctional institutions must serve as centres for rehabilitation and moral reform rather than punitive detentions. Highlighting achievements since the commission’s accountability was transferred to the Justice Bureau under Proclamation No. 295/2017, Berhanu Goshim noted that facilities now strictly require court warrants for inmate intake, ensuring constitutional rights are upheld while expanding vocational, academic, and psychological support programs.
Alongside the upcoming adjustment to inmate meal budgets to match current living costs, future priorities include expanding virtual case-tracking systems to allow prisoners to follow legal proceedings remotely, reducing paper-based handling, and bolstering security coordination across the justice sector.
The review also addressed severe operational challenges faced over the past year. Regional Correctional Commissioner Habtamu Sisay commended personnel for their resilience in maintaining order despite significant staffing shortages and regional security risks. Commissioner Habtamu Sisay noted that correctional officers courageously defended institutions and inmates during the 2018 fiscal year, successfully repelling hostile forces attempting to breach regional facilities.
Authorities confirmed that expanding guard numbers, improving training quality, and enforcing strict ethical standards will form key pillars of the commission’s strategy for the year ahead.
