Sharjah’s new law sets out a comprehensive framework for correctional institutions, focusing on security, rehabilitation, inmate rights, healthcare, education and social reintegration across the emirate.
SHARJAH, Aug. 24, 2026 — His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has issued a law regulating the correctional institution in the Emirate of Sharjah, establishing a framework focused on security, reform, rehabilitation and the protection of inmates’ rights.
The legislation seeks to establish the general policy governing the emirate’s correctional institution and ensure that the enforcement of custodial sentences contributes to protecting society while supporting the rehabilitation of convicted persons.
It is also designed to provide a safe environment that safeguards inmates’ dignity and rights and supports their social, psychological, and cultural rehabilitation, according to Sharjah 24.
The law applies to the Correctional Institution in Sharjah, as well as other institutions or centers established to achieve the same objectives. It also covers locations designated for enforcing pre-trial detention orders that fall outside the institution’s administrative jurisdiction.
Under the legislation, a local institution for correction and rehabilitation, officially known as the “Correctional Institution,” will be established in Sharjah. It will be administratively and financially affiliated with Sharjah Police.
The institution’s headquarters will be located in Sharjah City. The Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police may, with the approval of the Sharjah Executive Council, establish branches or designate facilities in other cities and areas of the emirate.
The law divides the institution into three main sections: a correctional institution for men, a correctional institution for women, and a juvenile center for people sentenced to imprisonment or placement. The juvenile center must maintain separation between male and female juveniles.
The legislation provides detailed rules covering the construction, supervision and administration of correctional facilities, along with requirements for maintaining an institutional database and conducting inspections.
It also establishes provisions governing inmate admission, visitation, healthcare, social care, education, and awareness programs. Other provisions address violations and disciplinary sanctions, inmate release procedures, age categories, and benefits available to inmates.
The legislation places rehabilitation at the center of the correctional system, linking the enforcement of sentences with wider objectives of social protection and preparing inmates for eventual reintegration into society.
The law forms part of Sharjah’s broader legal and institutional framework governing justice, public safety and social stability, while setting out detailed standards for the administration and operation of correctional facilities across the emirate.
