|
|
ARCHIVES
Rehabilitating Hardcore Prisoners
19 February, 2010  The FPCS Commissioner Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua addressing hardcore prisoners in a recent church service at the Naboro Correctional Facility In an effort to ensure that hardcore prisoners become productive and law abiding citizens upon them being discharged from prison, the Fiji Prisons and Corrections Service has introduced a policy guideline for their rehabilitation. The purpose of this new guideline is for officers of the FPCS follow the correction procedures in the rehabilitation of hardcore prisoners to ensure a degree of certainty in reducing the high rate of recidivism over recent years. The recidivism rate for 2009 was 39 percent compared to 44 per cent the previous year; in 2010 the FPCS intends to further reduce recidivism by another five per cent. Government has mandated that by the year 2014 the recidivism rate is to be less than 25 per cent. Rehabilitation has been an integral part and parcel of prison legislations. However, due to the inconspicuous manner in the way past rehabilitation processes have been implemented, efforts to produce the desired result in reducing recidivism has been a difficulty over the years. The framework is drawn from references of the People’s Charter for Change, the FPCS Rehabilitation Framework, the FPCS 2010 Corporate Plan and Prisons and Correctional Act 2006. The advent of the Prisons and Corrections Act 2006 provides the means to address the high recidivism rates. A substantial percentage of the prison population contains repeat offenders who are considered hardcore. These prisoners are normally hostile in nature and resistant to any form of rehabilitation and this mainly reflects on their low self esteem and inability to gain meaningful employment upon release. Hardcore prisoners are considered influential in the lives of other ordinary prisoners. Hardcore prisoners are normally prisoners that are serving five years to life. Ordinary prisoners view ‘hardcore’ prisoners as having a mentoring influence and become role models in an ordinary prisoner’s petty criminal life Under the new guidelines, hardcore prisoners will be identified during their admission stage and be systematically assessed to determine the most appropriate rehabilitation programme that fits their individual needs. This concept is essentially critical in re-enforcing in a degree of success in bringing about a quick turnover of successfully changing the lives of hardcore prisoners. This therapeutic treatment has been proven effective in other jurisdictions around the world and has been adapted for Fiji. The new treatment involves anger management, spiritual empowerment, counseling and teachings which are primarily aimed to rectify the mindset of hardened criminals to perceive life in a positive manner. www.corrections.org.fj
Other February 2010 News
|
Fiji Corrections Service
The successful reintegration of offenders into the community is the best security for society.
The successful reintegration of offenders into the community is the best security for society.
