{"id":14102,"date":"2026-04-20T06:53:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T06:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rakmediaoffice.ae\/?p=14102"},"modified":"2026-04-20T06:53:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T06:53:10","slug":"unesco-recognizes-ras-al-khaimah-prison-program-as-leader-in-learning-city-good-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rakmediaoffice.ae\/en\/media-center\/press-releases\/unesco-recognizes-ras-al-khaimah-prison-program-as-leader-in-learning-city-good-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"UNESCO Recognizes Ras Al Khaimah Prison Program as Leader in Learning City Good Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- VideographyWP Plugin Message: Automatic video embedding prevented by plugin options. --><br \/>\nThe <strong>Ras Al Khaimah Prison Program<\/strong> has been recognized in a case study published by <strong>UNESCO\u2019s Institute for Lifelong Learning<\/strong>, positioning the program as a regional leader in prison education practices. The feature, which forms part of Ras Al Khaimah\u2019s educational efforts as one of UNESCO\u2019s Global Network of Learning Cities, highlights the program\u2019s role in advancing inclusive education within correctional settings since its launch in <strong>2011.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Implemented by the <strong>Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research<\/strong> in collaboration with the <strong>Ras Al Khaimah Correctional Facility<\/strong>, the program provides inmates and correctional officers with access to learning resources and activities that support their educational and psychosocial needs. Central to the initiative is a <strong>multipurpose prison library<\/strong> with more than 9,000 titles, alongside spaces for self\u2011reading and group activities, and a private room for psychological counselling and therapy sessions. The library also hosts a reading book club and periodic communal activities that support engagement and personal development. The program also provides educational courses for inmates on a vast range of topics including literacy in both Arabic and English, small business and office management skills, ICT, art, mental health first aid and life skills.<\/p>\n<p>The UNESCO feature places these initiatives within Ras Al Khaimah\u2019s wider shift toward rehabilitative, learning-centered correctional practices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn Ras Al Khaimah, we believe every member of our community has the right to learn, grow, and improve themselves, regardless of their circumstances,\u201d said <strong>Dr. Natasha Ridge<\/strong>, Executive Director of the Al Qasimi Foundation. \u201cThe prison program creates learning opportunities that are practical, purposeful, and responsive to the realities people face during and after incarceration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Participation figures cited in the case study are drawn from data provided by the Foundation. According to the UNESCO feature, nearly <strong>25% of the inmate population<\/strong> has accessed the prison library since its launch, with inmates and correctional officers adjusting their daily routines to use the space. The case study also notes that <strong>more than 1,000 inmates<\/strong> have participated in at least one educational course and references survey feedback reporting a renewed sense of hope and a clearer pathway to reintegration among participants. The feature also references the <strong>lasting impact on the rehabilitation and personal growth of inmates<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Since joining <strong>UNESCO\u2019s Global Network of Learning Cities in 2022<\/strong>, Ras Al Khaimah has documented lifelong learning initiatives across formal, non\u2011formal, and informal settings, including correctional institutions. Within this framework, prison education is presented as part of the Emirate\u2019s broader commitment to inclusive education, human rights, and equitable access to learning, contributing to Ras Al Khaimah\u2019s broader vision of making high-quality learning opportunities available to all members of the community.<\/p>\n<p>The full UNESCO case study is available <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uil.unesco.org\/en\/articles\/ras-al-khaimah-prison-program-unesco-learning-city-ras-al-khaimah-united-arab-emirates\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ras Al Khaimah Prison Program has been recognized in a case study published by UNESCO\u2019s Institute for Lifelong Learning, positioning the program as a regional leader in prison education practices. The feature, which forms part of Ras Al Khaimah\u2019s educational efforts as one of UNESCO\u2019s Global Network of Learning Cities, highlights the program\u2019s role [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[],"press_release_topic":[61],"latest_news_topic":[],"class_list":["post-14102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-center","category-press-releases","press_release_topic-community-life"],"acf":{"related_to_hh":"no","header_desc":"","header_image":false,"hidden_photo_gallery":false,"pdf_file":false,"hi-res_image":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>UNESCO Recognizes Ras Al Khaimah Prison Program as Leader in Learning City Good Practice - Home Page<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rakmediaoffice.ae\/en\/media-center\/press-releases\/unesco-recognizes-ras-al-khaimah-prison-program-as-leader-in-learning-city-good-practice\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UNESCO Recognizes Ras Al Khaimah Prison Program as Leader in Learning City Good Practice - Home Page\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Ras Al Khaimah Prison Program has been recognized in a case study published by UNESCO\u2019s Institute for Lifelong Learning, positioning the program as a regional leader in prison education practices. 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