The march procession through Nadi town during the Yellow Ribbon launch.

Commissioner of Corrections Lieutenant Colonel Ifereimi Vasu has called on the community to work together so that Fiji can have the lowest prison population in the world.

He made the plea during the launch of the Yellow Ribbon project in Nadi today.

“Together we can achieve that. Together we can make Fiji a safer and more secure place for our children and wonderful environment to do business,” Lt. Col Vasu said.

The Yellow Ribbon Project he said, is about forgiveness and of giving a second chance in the community.

Giving a second chance he said, may come in the form of supporting the Yellow Ribbon Project, opening your heart, visiting relatives at Corrections institutions to give them encouragement, providing work attachment or employment opportunities, assisting in starting them off in life and buying products and produce from offenders in small businesses.

Lt. Col Vasu also announced the setting up of the CARE Network from next year to further develop the Yellow Ribbon.

CARE stands for the Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-offenders

“It is a network of key stakeholders to assist in the rehabilitation of released offenders in the community.

“That is another avenue you can come on board and avail yourselves to assist. I invite you to be part of CARE,” he said.

He said offenders are not bad people. Somewhere along their young lives, they have gone off track, he said.

“Our task is to lead them back on track. Within the Fiji Corrections Service, we have various programmes in place to help steer them back to be effective and responsible citizens.

“Let me confess to you today that we cannot do it alone. We need your help and the support of the families, the vanua, the churches, the faith based organizations, the business community, the employers, the programme providers, Government agencies, and the community at large,” he added.

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