From risk to reform: Countering prison corruption
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), United Arab Emirates
28 September 2026
Organiser: The U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute
Supported by: Norway, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Penal Reform International, Centro de Estudios Justicia y Sociedad.
Date and time: Monday, 28 September 2026; 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (GST)
Venue: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Room 2D (in person)
Streaming link: https://cmino.zoom.us/j/67559344788
Languages: English. Subtitles available on Zoom.
Context
Corruption in criminal justice systems undermines the rule of law, weakens human rights protections, and directly harms people in detention. Yet prison corruption often remains a hidden issue, with few tailored tools to prevent and counter it. This session will explore how anti-corruption and human rights efforts can be brought together to address this challenge. The U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre and Penal Reform International have developed Corruption in Prisons: A Guide for Detention Monitors.
Detention monitors, with their unique access to prisons, are in a key position to document corruption risks, advocate for reforms, and strengthen evidence-based policymaking. Chile’s National Preventive Mechanism and the Catholic University of Chile will share how the Guide is being adapted to the Latin American context, supported by the Inter-American Development Bank.
Complementing this, UNODC, with the support from the Independent Commission Against Corruption of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, and the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, will provide the recent landscape in fighting corruption and building integrity in prison environment, and present new practical guidance that equips prison officials with a corruption risk management tool. Participants will gain insights into practical strategies, emerging tools, and lessons learned that can strengthen both accountability and the protection of detainees’ rights.
Programme
| Opening Remarks: Why corruption matters when it comes to human rights in prisons | Mr. Jan Austad is Policy Director at the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Norway. |
| Corruption investigations, risk management and integrity building in prison environments | Mr. Wai Hong Victor Lee is a Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer with UNODC in Vienna, working on anti-corruption, financial investigations, capacity-building and integrity in prison systems. His work includes supporting Member States in strengthening investigative capacity and building integrity in prison administrations. Prior to UNODC, he served as a Chief Investigator with Hong Kong’s ICAC. |
| Introduction of the Guide on Corruption Risk Management in Prison Systems |
Mr. Tony Lau is the Chief Corruption Prevention Officer of the Corruption Prevention Department of ICAC. He possesses extensive experience advising organisations in both public and private sectors in developing controls and safeguards against corruption and other malpractice. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is a Certified Public Accountant. |
| Prisons are not the end of justice: A Guide not just for Detention Monitors | Dr. Sofie Arjon Schütte is a principal adviser and leads the work on the justice sector as well as evaluation and measurement of the U4 Anti-Cor |
| Adaptation of the Guide to the Latin American context |
Dr. Catalina Droppelmann is Professor at the Escuela de Gobierno and Research Director of the Center for Studies on Justice and Society at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. With a PhD in Criminology from the University of Cambridge, she has spent over 20 years working on crime, criminal justice, and social exclusion through research, teaching, and public policy. |
| Moderated Q&A and discussion |
Mr. Jérôme Mangelinckx is Global Policy Manager at Penal Reform International. He draws on extensive experience in drug policy reform, penal and penitentiary reform, and human rights. |
Related reading
- Corruption in prisons: a guide for detention monitors
- Guía de Monitoreo de Corrupción de Cárceles en Latinoamérica
- Corruption as a limit to state capacity: Mobile phones in Peruvian prisons
- Integrity Zones in Indonesian prisons: Addressing corruption amid overcrowding
- Integrity Behind Bars: Guide on Corruption Risk Management in Prison Systems