Parliament to discuss amendments to Prisons Organization Law

CAIRO – 23 December: The Egyptian parliament will discuss a draft law to amend some provisions of law No. 390 of 1956 concerning the organization of prisons on December 24. They plan to pass the law as soon as possible.

Earlier on December 21, the parliament approved a bill to amend some provisions of law No. 396 of 1956 concerning the organization of prisons.

This bill makes prisoners eligible for police pardon after serving half their sentence, rather than the current two-thirds of a sentence. The pardon aims to urge the prisoner to pursue proper behavior within the prison and to respond to rehabilitation programs in order to enable him to return to normal life as a good member of society.

The prisoner will receive a police pardon if his release does not pose a threat to public security.

The bill also states that the minimum prison sentence will be shortened from nine months to six.

According to Article 56 in the Constitution, “a prison is a place of correction and rehabilitation. Prisons and places of detention shall be subject to judiciary supervision, where actions inconsistent with human dignity or which endanger human health shall be prohibited. The Law shall regulate the provisions of reform and rehabilitation of convicted persons and facilitating decent lives after their release.”

The bill addresses the problem of overcrowded prison populations, which have adverse effects on prisoners’ standard of life and increase the cost of insurance.

Essentially, the proposed law seeks to reduce the prison population while improving the organization and conduct within prisons.

The amendment stipulates that the period of imprisonment shall not be less than six months in any case. If the penalty is life imprisonment, the sentence may not be released unless the convicted person has served at least twenty years in prison.