Tevita Tinaimasi came all the way from Bua to take her niece home.
What he saw touched him. “I never thought that this could be done,” he said. The uncle was at the Women’s Prisons to receive Sainiana Tinaimasi,20, who has been released after serving a two-year term.
It is part of a new initiative by the Womens’ Prison to hand over offenders on release to relatives as a result of the Yellow Ribbon Project. “That is what we will be doing from now on,” says Officer in Charge Ana Wilikibau.“It is appropriate that we properly hand over to family members instead of just letting them out through the gates.” “That way we can be assured that there is someone to continue the work of rehabilitation and caring for our charge when they are released.” The staff and Sainiana’s colleagues presented her with embroidery to take home with her. 
The uncle thanked the Corrections Service for the initiative and for taking care of Sainiana who was 19 when she came to prison. He said he was honoured by what the corrections service has done and would be relating to the people in the village what happened.
PPO Wilikibau said the uncle will be accompanying Sainiana to the village in Driti and will be presenting her traditional apology of the matanigasau to the parents and the vanua.