How do you bring international human rights standards to life in a small island prison? In this session, we take you inside the bold transformation underway at Curaçao’s only correctional facility, where the Nelson Mandela Rules aren’t just aspirations - they’re becoming operational reality.
Led by the Quality & Auditing Department at Sentro di Detenshon i Korekshon Kòrsou (SDKK), this initiative uses audits not as checklists, but as catalysts for ethical reform. With a staff of 400 and a capacity of 500 detainees, SDKK operates in a unique social fabric where oversight must be both rigorous and culturally sensitive. This presentation explores how compliance reviews are driving tangible change in areas such as grievance procedures, non-discrimination, disciplinary practices, and staff training. Through real-world case studies, you’ll see how an internal audit function can build trust, enhance transparency, and protect dignity behind prison walls.
Whether you're in prison management, human rights, public administration, or auditing, you’ll gain insight into how structured oversight - grounded in the Nelson Mandela Rules - can transform institutional culture from the inside out. Join us to discover how one Caribbean prison is redefining accountability and ethical treatment through audits with impact.
Moderated by Dorin Muresan, Chair, Staff Training and Development Network, ICPA
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Martha Jessurun
Head of Quality and Audit, Curacao Prison, Ministry of Justice, Curaçao
Martha Jessurun is the Head of Quality and Audit at the Sentro di Detenshon i Korekshon Kòrsou (SDKK), the national correctional facility of Curaçao. She holds an Executive Master of Internal Auditing from the Amsterdam Business School and an MBA in International Business from St. Thomas University. Martha is a certified CRMA (Certification in Risk Management Assurance) and Registered Operational Auditor (RO), with extensive experience in internal auditing, strategic advisory, and public sector reform.
With a strong commitment to justice, transparency, and institutional improvement, Martha has led various audit-driven initiatives focused on compliance with international human rights standards, such as the Nelson Mandela Rules and CPT recommendations. Her work includes the development and implementation of reform programs related to detainee rights, staff training, complaints mechanisms, and equality in prison policy.
Martha frequently collaborates with oversight bodies and multidisciplinary teams to align correctional practices with ethical governance, using audits as tools for continuous improvement and organizational accountability.
