Rwanda’s justice system is reaping the benefits of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, with the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) reporting a 30 per cent reduction in correctional facility overcrowding since the 2023/2024 fiscal year.
The approach, rooted in mediation, plea bargaining, and reconciliation, has proven instrumental in easing congestion and promoting timely access to justice.
Presenting the Commission’s annual report to both chambers of Parliament on October 15, NCHR Chairperson Providence Umurungi attributed the decline largely to the continued use and growing understanding of ADR, as well as the recent opening of the Nyamasheke Correctional Facility, ( A detention centre for male convicts of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi nearing sentence completion, focusing on civic education and rehabilitation to support their reintegration into society).
According to the report, 74,253 people were incarcerated across Rwanda’s 14 correctional facilities, including 68,944 men, 4,773 women, 516 boys, and 20 girls. As of August 31, this year, data from the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) showed that facilities with a total capacity of 68,933 inmates were housing 71,561, an improvement compared to previous years when facilities operated far beyond capacity.
“Overcrowding fell from 134.3 per cent in 2023/2024 to 110 per cent in 2024/2025. By August 2025, it had further dropped to 103.8 per cent, and it’s all the impact of ADR in reducing case backlogs and pre-trial detentions that typically strain correctional facilities,” Umurungi told lawmakers.
She noted that plea bargaining alone has resolved over 21,000 cases since its introduction, including 11,846 in 2024/2025, allowing offenders to take responsibility while reducing lengthy court processes.
The Commission believes that continued awareness and integration of ADR across all levels of justice will further reduce congestion.
“In addition to ADR, other measures have contributed to easing pressure on prisons, including presidential pardons, provisional releases, non-custodial sentences, and the fact that more inmates are completing their sentences than new convictions being registered,” she said
Lawmakers welcomed the progress, calling it a major achievement, noting that past reports often reflected rising inmate numbers. Senators also commended the construction of the Nyamasheke Correctional Facility for helping distribute the prison population more evenly.
Despite the positive strides, Umurungi cautioned that some challenges persist, particularly in overcrowded facilities such as Rwamagana Prison, where congestion continues to strain health services and raise public health concerns during disease outbreaks.
She also highlighted ongoing issues in detention centres, including the lack of special diets, medical coverage, and disability-friendly infrastructure, though most detainees now spend fewer than five days in custody.
The NCHR pledged to continue advocacy efforts to ensure that all correctional and detention facilities respect human rights standards.
Umurungi reaffirmed that ADR remains centralto Rwanda’s justice reform strategy, helping transform the system from punitive to restorative, where dialogue, accountability, and social harmony guide the pursuit of justice.
