Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic has signed an international cooperation agreement with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham University School of Law to advance prison reform, human rights, and legal and technical training in the country.

The agreement, coordinated through the National Office for Support to Penitentiary Reform (ONAPREP), was formalized at the National Palace’s Los Trinitarios Hall. Signatories included Roberto Santana, Presidential Advisor on Penitentiary Services and head of the Directorate General of Penitentiary and Correctional Services (DGSPC); Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, Dean of GIMPA’s School of Law; and Paolo Galizzi from Fordham University’s Leitner Center. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Diana Asonabo Dapaah, former Deputy Minister of Justice of Ghana.

The agreement establishes a framework for joint research, academic exchanges, training of prison personnel, and technical assistance focused on improving the Dominican penitentiary system and promoting the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates. Cooperation areas include criminal justice and human rights research, specialized training for prison and judicial officials, and the development of comparative policies inspired by Ghana’s successful reduction of pretrial detention rates—from 68% to below 15% in three years.

Additionally, the parties will organize the International Conference on Human Rights, the Penitentiary System, Global Challenges, and Good Practices, which will gather experts from various countries to share experiences and promote sustainable justice reforms.

The three-year agreement, with automatic renewal, will be overseen by an Interinstitutional Coordination Committee composed of representatives from each organization. The Dominican Republic will be represented by Dr. Juan Dionicio Rodríguez, ONAPREP’s justice coordinator.