‘Family Days’ out for prisoners
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 24th April 2007
PRISONERS who behave themselves may be allowed time out with their families in specially-built villas.People sentenced to three months or less in prison may also be ordered to do community service as an alternative to actually going to jail, under pioneering plans.
The Interior Ministry plans to build four villas next to Jaw Prison, as part of its “Family Day” project, to allow prisoners of good conduct to be closer to their families, it was revealed yesterday.
A draft law has already been prepared and is due to be submitted to parliament for discussion, said Interior Ministry’s reformation and rehabilitation director Lieutenant Colonel Rashid Abdul Rahman Abdul Ghaffar.
‘Family Days’ out for prisoners
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 24th April 2007
PRISONERS who behave themselves may be allowed time out with their families in specially-built villas.People sentenced to three months or less in prison may also be ordered to do community service as an alternative to actually going to jail, under pioneering plans.
The Interior Ministry plans to build four villas next to Jaw Prison, as part of its “Family Day” project, to allow prisoners of good conduct to be closer to their families, it was revealed yesterday.
A draft law has already been prepared and is due to be submitted to parliament for discussion, said Interior Ministry’s reformation and rehabilitation director Lieutenant Colonel Rashid Abdul Rahman Abdul Ghaffar.
If passed the ministry plans to build four houses, each at a cost of BD50,000, which will include two bedrooms, two toilets, a hall and a kitchen.
The aim is to simulate family life outside of prison and to make visitation more accessible to wives and children of inmates.
“These houses will be exactly like a real villa, complete with furniture, TVs and anything else you might find in a household,” said Lt Col Abdul Ghaffar.
“There will even be a garden, complete with greenery and a fountain.
“These will be adjacent to the prison, so the families won’t even feel like they are visiting their relative inside a jail. The homes will not be guarded except from outside.”
He said prisoners would initially be given 24 hours with their families at these villas.
“However, if their conduct is really good, we could make it two or three days,” said Lt Col Abdul Ghaffar.
“The frequency of the family days will depend on how well the prisoner behaves. It will be an incentive to encourage good conduct.”
The families will only undergo very basic searches.
“We cannot search the families too closely, but if it is found that they are smuggling any illegal substances into the prison for the inmate, he will lose his visitation rights immediately,” he said.
Lt Col Abdul Ghaffar was speaking as he toured an exhibition of furniture and handicrafts produced by inmates at prisons across the GCC.
The two-day event continues today from 10am to 10pm at the Seef Mall. The expo is free, but the items are not for sale.
Interior Ministry assistant under-secretary for Administrative Affairs Major General Bassim Al Hamar said that the ministry also planned to market these products just like in some other GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“This kind of project requires large output and a mechanism to market the goods,” he said.
The exhibition was opened by Maj Gen Al Hamar following a one-day meeting of prison and rehabilitation centre officials from across the region at the Sheraton Hotel.
Bahrain’s delegation presented a paper at the conference on its experience with alternatives to traditional imprisonment.
“We already have a law in place to allow those sentenced to three months or less to serve their sentences through community service or in some other way,” said Lt Col Abdul Ghaffar.
“In the paper we proposed to the representatives from the other GCC countries that this should be increased to six months.”
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© Gulf Daily News
