Bandar Seri Begawan - The 32nd Asian and Pacific Conference for Correctional Administrators (APCCA) convened yesterday in an opening ceremony held at Rizqun International Hotel in Gadong.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awg Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Awg Othman officiated the opening as guest of honour.

Hosted by the Brunei Darussalam for the first time through the Prisons Department, this year's conference is themed, 'Caring and Meaningful Rehabilitation' and consists of five plenary sessions located by 137 delegates, which include local senior government officials and prominent prison system administrators from Asia-Pacific nations, as well as academic speakers from the United Nations Far East Institute on Crime Prevention (UNAFEI).

The opening began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and the formal procession of APCCA Symbols onto the stage. The procession was followed by speeches from the Conference Chairman and Acting Director of Prisons Department, Awg Hj Zainal Hj Ismail; and its previous host, Mr Kazuhiro Yokoyama from the Ministry of Justice, Japan.

The official opening took place shortly after, and the ceremony concluded with a prayer recitation to bless the event.

The week-long conference will see delegates discussing on how strategic partnerships and collaborative working with and beyond organisations can improve service of delivery of effective rehabilitation.

This will be conducted based on case studies from different correctional jurisdictions on improving efforts to support reintegration or re-entry of offenders as productive citizens of their own communities.

Various issues of effective correctional security and women in corrections as inmates and correctional officers will also be focussed during the plenary and workshop sessions.

Yesterday's event also saw the conducting of Business Session 1 and Agenda Item 1 on Challenges and Initiatives. Meanwhile, during the evening, delegates were hosted to a welcoming dinner at Rizqun International Hotel.

APCCA has become a much-respected annual event for facilitating the exchange of ideas, technology and best practices in the profession of corrections among its growing member community in the Asia Pacific region, since its establishment in 1980.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin