Mbaye Sarr, director of the National School of Prison Administration, was the guest of the program “Salaam Senegal” on Radio Senegal. According to him, this year, the National School of Prison Administration is celebrating its 10th anniversary, having been created in 2014. On this occasion, celebrations are planned during the first quarter of the year 2025. Previously, the training of officers was done at the Police Academy, but since 2017, they have benefited from their own training structure.
As part of the development of the school, Mbaye Sarr stressed that a research laboratory and a biannual review have been set up. Among the government’s priorities is the construction of a new school, aimed at improving learning conditions for learners. In 2025, an annual capacity building program has already been established, with the ambition of involving 1000 agents.
The director also mentioned that the State has undertaken an ambitious project to modernize the prison administration, including the construction of nine new prisons and the rehabilitation of existing establishments. These initiatives aim to improve the care of prisoners. The budget allocated by the State for detainees was increased, from 1152 FCFA to 1300 FCFA, a significant financial effort intended to continually improve detention conditions.
Mbaye Sarr reported a project to recruit 865 agents per year over a period of 10 years, in order to fill the staff gap, while respecting the ratio established by international standards. He also stressed the need to review the status of the prison administration, a mission that falls to him. This new status will make it possible to establish post-prison monitoring, to specialize staff, and to raise the level of recruitment.
Finally, he mentioned the innovative initiatives put in place within the prison administration, such as the creation of two bakeries and the construction of a third near Thiès, as well as a dairy farm which not only produces milk but which also provides training to inmates. In collaboration with the State, a reintegration fund is also planned to finance prisoners’ projects, demonstrating a desire for integration and rehabilitation within society.
