The facility, which cost 2.68 billion Rwandan francs, will provide inmates with skills training, family reconnection programs, and opportunities to participate in community activities such as Umuganda (community work).
The center was inaugurated on September 3, 2025, in Muhazi Sector, Rwamagana District, and will accommodate prisoners who have between six months and one year left to serve.
It has a capacity of 2,500 inmates, starting with an initial group of 250 transferred from different prisons across the country.
Preparing inmates for life after prison
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Internal Security Dr. Vincent Biruta said the center is part of Rwanda's broader effort to rehabilitate inmates and prepare them for life after prison.
'You will return to your families, joining other Rwandans, including some with whom you may have had conflicts that led you to prison. This program is designed to prepare you for all thatâ€"so that when you leave, you are reformed individuals who can contribute to your families and to the nation,' he said.
RCS Commissioner General Evariste Murenzi explained that while many prisoners change for the better during incarceration, reintegrating into society would remain a challenge after years behind bars.
'This is why we created this facilityâ€"to train inmates who are close to completing their sentences in how to readjust to family and community life. It is a model project that will be replicated across all provinces, complementing the usual rehabilitation methods,' he said.
Unique features of the center
Rwanda currently has more than 76,000 inmates held in 13 prisons nationwide. Unlike traditional prisons, which are secured with eight-to-ten-meter-high fences, the new facility is enclosed by walls only two to three meters high. It also operates with fewer warders, most of whom will not carry weapons.
Prisoners admitted to the center are carefully selected based on good behavior and having served at least two years of their sentence.
One of the first beneficiaries, Mukaniyonshuti Jeanette, said life at the center feels different from regular prison.
'Here it feels like home compared to where we came from. In other prisons, warders escorted us everywhere and even visits required long queues. Here we are more at ease,' she said.
Family visits, skills training, and reconciliation
Inmates at the center will be allowed short-term leave to visit family and friends, including attending weddings, funerals, or visiting sick relatives in hospital.
They will also receive six-month to one-year vocational training courses in areas such as hairdressing, beauty, tailoring, weaving, carpentry, and construction. Those already skilled will be supported in finding markets, joining cooperatives, and connecting with private-sector partners.
In addition, inmates will undergo counseling in mental health, social reintegration, and reconciliation, including facilitated dialogue with victims or families they may have wronged in order to seek forgiveness and promote healing.
They will also participate in community development activities such as Umuganda, house construction for vulnerable families, and national commemoration events.
The center was constructed by the Government of Rwanda with support from the Starling Foundation and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/inside-rwanda-s-new-social-reintegration-center-in-rwamagana
