Inmates learning proper farming skills.

Felix Chaudhary
Monday, August 09, 2010

THE Lautoka Rural Advisory Council will be making a proposal to work with officers at the Natabua Prison in monitoring the progress of released prisoners.
"At present, when a prisoner is released, he or she is taken back to family and there is a reconciliation process and big feasting and then the prisoner is left to his or her own devices.

Unfortunately due to stigma and society's pre-conceived perception, the prisoner will not be able to find meaningful work or be accepted back into the community. This is a sad fact," said council chairman Faiaaz Ali.

Under the new proposal prisoners can be involved in farming, working on fish farming projects or be involved in some form of community service.

"There is a lot of unused land available which could be used and then there is also fish and prawn farming projects that could be set up as well. These types of projects will give these former inmates a sense of purpose and lead them away from being idle and away from the path of reoffending," he said.

Mr Ali said former prisoners looking for work were often turned away by business owners, something the advisory council chairman hoped to change.

He said: "We are pleading to business owners, please give these people a chance. We all make mistakes and deserve a second shot at life."

West Prisons supervisor Oliver Fisher welcomed the initiative saying it could significantly help reduce inmate numbers at Natabua.

"Right now we have 173 incarcerated ù both in remand and convicted. This proposal is a good idea and we will support it because it goes with Yellow Ribbon Project, of getting former inmates accepted back into the community and at the same time helping them not re-offend."

Source: Fiji Times



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