Egypt hopes new massive prison complex will improve country's image
Cairo has opened a rehabilitation center for prisoners designed according to American standards and big enough to serve a quarter of the country’s inmates. While some citizens have hailed the move, other say it's meant to distract from the country's human rights record.
CAIRO — Egypt’s Interior Ministry announced Oct. 28 the inauguration of the Wadi al-Natrun Correction and Rehabilitation Center, the first of its kind in the country.
Once the center is fully operational, 12 prisons, representing 25% of the total number in Egypt, will be closed.
The ministry said that the center shows its belief in human rights and the development of places of detention. Also, the move may save money, given that the investment value of the prison sites to be shut down exceeds the cost of establishing rehabilitation centers.
According to the ministry, the center, which was built in only 10 months, was designed with the latest technology, and the new rehabilitation and correction programs are based on studies to reintegrate detainees in society after their release.
