Shura to vote on rehabilitation clinics as jail alternative

TDT | Manama

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Some convicts may serve their sentences in mental health or medical care institutions instead of jail, under a draft law being reviewed by the Shura Council.

The council’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee has recommended passing the bill, which expands Bahrain’s existing system of alternative punishments.

It introduces a new penalty: placement in a psychological or medical facility, and proposes tighter coordination between agencies responsible for carrying out such measures. The legislation adds two fresh articles to the current framework.

Treatment and care

One focuses on treatment and care, aiming to support those convicted of minor offences through mental or physical rehabilitation.

The other offers less restrictive sentences, such as requiring offenders to check in at police stations during fixed hours.

These measures would allow people to remain under supervision while staying out of prison.

A new provision allows courts to order ‘placement in a specialised mental healthcare institution or medical facility’ as a punishment in its own right.

According to the explanatory note, this would mean compulsory residence in a clinic or care home, with regular assessments by doctors and specialists.

Instructions

The Minister of Interior would issue instructions on how such sentences are carried out, including when a convict may leave the facility and the reporting conditions they must meet.

Responsibility for organising training and rehabilitation courses would shift to the Ministry of Interior.

Those handed this type of sentence could be required to take part in programmes ranging from craftwork and technical training to education or psychological support, depending on their case.

The committee noted that the bill introduces three new forms of alternative sentencing: bans on visiting specific websites, compulsory presence at police stations at designated times, and treatment in clinics.

The goal, it said, is to help people reform, stay in touch with their families, and keep working, instead of facing time behind bars.