(Far left) Commissioner of Prisons Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua & Senior Staff at the Medium Church Service on Sunday (February 14 )

Ninety Seven inmates who are often referred to as hard core were told on Sunday, February 14 that 2010 was the year to make a declaration on where they were at presently and where they see themselves at the end of the year.

Not mincing his words the Fiji Prisons and Corrections Service Commissioner Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua told the inmates who are serving terms from five years to life at the Naboro Medium Prison there were no excuses for them to keep returning to prison.

“There are no excuses for returning to prison, only those that are lazy come back to prison, I know that some of you will make the change and some wouldn’t.

“There are four grouping of prisoners sitting here today, the first are the ones thinking to themselves, here we go again, Commissioner is saying the same thing, the second group are those that sit on the fence, not sure of themselves, the third are the ones that are aimless and the fourth are aware that what I am saying is good for them.

“The fourth group is my group; this group will never come back to prison.

As inmates, irrespective of whether you will be discharged this year or in ten year from now, you must have a certain degree of certainty in your life.

“You must declare where you are and where you want to go.

“You cannot change, if you don’t want to give up what is holding you back.

The Commissioner told the inmates that 2010 was ground zero for making a life term commitment to change for the better.

“It is absolutely critical that you make the change this year, it is now or never, otherwise forget about it.”

Brigadier General Naivalurua said that the FPCS had a mandate from government to make useful citizens of those under its care.

“We have a budget of $14.9 million of this government has allocated $30 per day for your upkeep and my staff and I are responsible to make you a useful person to society.

“Government has also told us to reduce recidivism to 25 per cent by the year 2014 and you play a part in this as well.”

In touching moment the Commissioner related a heart rendering story to the inmates that had many a teary eye among the inmates.

The Commissioner told them of some visitors that came and saw him a few days before Christmas.

“Just before Christmas, a mother of an inmate, his wife and two little children came and visited me and they all asked me the same question.

“When will I see my son, my husband and our daddy, this really struck me because while we were all caught up in preparing for Christmas, all this family was concerned about was they son, husband and father.

“That is real time that is the burden of those outside, so inmates have a role to play.

“We on the outside are fighting battles so that people accept you when you are discharged.

“I will not mince my words, let me tell you I am not there to make people feel good, I am here to tell you my expectations, there are no excuses, make the change, now.




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Other February 2010 News