Prison Regulation Law

The Yemeni Prison Regulation Law was adopted to regulate and organize the prison system in Yemen. The law addresses internal person dynamics, rules, and responsibilities in incarcerated facilities. The law addresses issues relevant to child protection, children in conflict with the law, and children in detention settings. Initially adopted in 1996, and later amended in 2002, the law is composed of 85 articles spanning 12 chapters that address the following themes:

1- General provisions and key terminologies (Chapters 1, 2): Provides an elaborate description of basic law definitions (including detainee, types of prisons, etc.), in addition to articulating the law’s objectives (rehabilitation, reform, etc.).

2- Procedures (Chapters 3, 9, 11): Outlines the process of the admission and release of prisoners, as well as the associated legal proceedings, including elaborate details of crimes, penalties, and instances in which prison guards may use coercive means or firearms against inmates.

3- Rights and obligations (Chapters 4, 5, 6, 8): Addresses prisoner’s rights and obligations within the prison system, detailing their rights to work, education, healthcare, and visitation. Also details prisoners’ duties and associated disciplinary measures based on crimes committed.

4- Prison structure and administration (Chapters 7, 10, 12): Details the framework and mechanisms for classifying prisoners and internal prison regulation, including prison guards’ rankings and hierarchies, as well as prison administration.

Regarding implementation, the prison system has been extensively undermined, especially due to political shifts stemming from the armed conflict that escalated in the country in 2015. In practice, Yemen lacks a unified governing system, and especially as a consequence of the armed conflict, the institutions responsible for enforcing and implementing the provisions of this law have been rendered ineffective.