Our mission
To bring dignity and hope to men, women and children in prison through healthcare, education, access to justice and community reintegration.
Our vision
Our vision is that prisons in Africa are places of positive transformation and that entering prison does not mean losing hope. We believe depravation of freedom need not mean deprivation of humanity.
The African Prisons Project (APP) is a group of people passionately committed to improving access to healthcare, education, justice and community reintegration for prisoners in Africa. We aim to restore the dignity of those we serve by providing humane conditions and services which help them to regain their humanity. We build and refurbish prison medical and educational facilities, provide innovative services and work to change the attitudes of the societies serve when it comes to criminal justice issues.
Africa is a continent in transition, and its problems are magnified within its detention systems. The plight of detainees is rarely noticed; therefore they receive little help from charitable organisations. Yet they include the most downtrodden and vulnerable - babies imprisoned with their mothers, the mentally ill, children and the illiterate.
APP Blog
Interview With A Volunteer
6 December 2012
African Prisons Project are always looking for volunteers to work alongside our team in Uganda. Volunteers are an incredibly valuable resource to our work and we benefit immensely from the sharing of information and use of best practice. More...
APP Welcomes Jennifer Jenkins
9 August 2012
Hi everyone! My name is Jenni and I am the new legal intern at APP. More...
Africa Travel Journal
22 June 2012
Greetings dear readers, from a balmy, sleepy Kampala. The stars and moon illuminate the terrace I am writing from, surrounded by the night-time hubbub of frogs and crickets. More...
Africa Travel Journal
22 June 2012
Greetings dear readers, from a balmy, sleepy Kampala. The stars and moon illuminate the terrace I am writing from, surrounded by the night-time hubbub of frogs and crickets. More...
Mental illness in African prisons: What needs to be done?
24 May 2012
Mental illness – it comes in many shapes and forms: depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and paranoid personality disorder being just four. The list of illnesses classified as mental disorders is extensive. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of mental health is ‘a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community’ - WHO More...