The relevance of the Gambia Prison Service in matters of public security does not need to be over-

emphasized. It is well acknowledge that there is need to restrict the movement of persons considered

to be dangerous to the society, or in conflict with the law, for diverse reasons; and also to find a way of

punishing persons who break the law, with the aim of correcting and rehabilitating them, that they might

become more responsible. Therefore, while the Prison Service has an exceedingly important role to play

in ensuring the security of people in the country, it is also very much involved in shaping moral standards

and building a sense of civic responsibility amongst people in the society.

However, while carrying-out their responsibilities, it is usually challenging for Prison Officers to always

remember that detainees and/or prisoners are not necessarily exempt from the right to enjoy proper and

humane treatment as human beings.

Quite often, prison conditions feature high among the indices used at national and international levels to

assess the human rights situation of any country. Therefore, the Prison Service has a very important role

to play in shaping the human rights reputation of The Gambia.

In this human rights capacity-building project, IHRDA has provided training to some Prison Officers, and

this manual is expected to complement the knowledge transferred to personnel of the institution.

We therefore hope that this manual will serve as a practical, user-friendly guide for better understanding

and applying of human rights principles in the everyday duties of Prison Officers. The manual is designed

such that, depending on the issue at hand, the user can refer directly to the subject matter that pertains to

the issue. For example, the issues covered include the basic definition of human rights, the use of force,

rights of detainees/prisoners, the definition of vulnerable groups and why they deserve special protection,

and how human rights can improve the work of Prison Officers, etc. All of the subjects covered draw

inspiration from relevant national and international law and standards.