The President of the Methodist Church, Rev Laisiasa Ratabacaca has assured the support of the Church in the rehabilitation work in the Prison Department.

Rev Ratabacaca gave the assurance when he led a delegation of senior church ministers and officials to visit prisons in Naboro and Suva on Thursday, July 10,2008. They were briefed at Prisons Headquarters of the new vision and direction in the delivery of prison services where the focus is on the correction and rehabilitation of inmates.

The delegation was then accorded a full traditional welcome at the Maximum Security Prisons performed by the officers and inmates and treated to a lively meke wau by a tour of the institution. They were hosted to lunch by the Commissioner of Prisons Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua at the Women's Prison.

Rev. Ratabacaca expressed his appreciation for being hosted by the Department and assured of his and the church's support for a worthy cause.

The visit was the first time the head of Fiji's biggest church denomination was officially hosted by the Department. The majority of inmates in the the prison's - about 45 percent - are members of the Methodist Church.

Brig. Naivalurua thanked the Church delegation for agreeing to have a close up of prison activities and was looking forward to the assistance and corporation, especially in the after-care aspect of rehabilitation.

The invitation to the Church was the initiative of the Commissioner as part of the visibility and engagement effort of the department to rope in key stakeholders to be actively involved in the various rehabilitation programmes.

A key centerpiece of the programmes is the launching of the Yellow Ribbon Project this year which focuses on the reintegration of the ex-offenders back into the society to make them productive members of the society.         

Other July 2008 News