An FCS team comprising senior officials leave Kadavu today.

The people of Kadavu have appreciated the effort by the Fiji Correction Service to conduct awareness on the island in spreading the message about Yellow Ribbon and our efforts in trying to deter people from going to prison.

The team, comprising senior officials of the FCS, have spoken to students and teachers of Richmond and Vunisea Secondary school and Namalata and Tavuki Primary Schools.

They were also given the opportunity to speak during the Bose ni Tikina o Tavuki last Friday.

This week they presented to students of Kavala Primary and Kadavu Provinicial school.

They also conducted awareness to the villages of Yavulu, Solotavui, Nasele, Daku and Naivakarauniniu.

Yellow Ribbon coordinator Chief Corrections Officer Savenaca Baleiwai said it was fulfilling to see the appreciative response from the people.

“Basically we are telling the children that prison is not the place to be, we are telling them to be law-abiding citizens.

“We are also preaching about the need to give offenders a second chance and the part that they as a community can play in ensuring that the reintegration of an offender is a success,” CCO Baleiwai said.

The team also visited families whose members are currently incarcerated.

“We visited and encouraged them telling them that their support is crucial in ensuring that an offender does not return to us,” CCO Baleiwai said.

He said the families were quite emotional.

According to CCO Baleiwai, most of the people on the island had heard about the Yellow Ribbon initiative but did not fully understand it.

“So it was an opportunity for them to learn about it first-hand from Correction officers,” he said. 

www.corrections.org.fj

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