Maldives to deduct prison work days from sentence
According to the minister, each prisoner costs MVR 27,000 over month.
By
Aminath Shifleen
For every day a prisoner works in prison, a day will be deducted from their sentence, the Homeland Ministry has said.
A ‘cultural village' [Sagaafee Avah] programme at Maafushi prison began on Thursday. It is a permanent site for cultural work, made by corrections officers and prison inmates.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Homeland Minister Ali Ihsan announced some of the things the government plans to do in the future to rehabilitate the prisoners and make them responsible people.
One of the most significant things he mentioned was the decision to deduct a day from the prison sentence for each day that prisoners working in the cultural and other parts of the prison worked. The minister said:
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It is President Mohamed Muizzu’s vision
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In prison, every day of electronic work, carpentry, and cultural work, all will will issue this relief to the prisoners
“As such, we will soon announce to the prisoners a mechanism to ensure that this is done in a robust manner by making the necessary changes to the laws and regulations,” Ihsan said.
He said the President's instruction is to ensure that every day spent in prison should be spent learning skills and earning an income so that the prisoners can get out of prison as soon as possible.
Ihsan said:
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Keeping people behind bars for a long time is not what the president wishes
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The prisoner's reform work must start with his entry into prison and the next step should be to return to the society as a useful citizen and contribute to develop the country, he said
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In the future, corrections will shape protocols and rehabilitation programs to facilitate this, he said
Ihsan said the products made by the prisoners in the cultural village will be sold to tourists in Maafushi and the airport. In the future, prisons will be seen as very active and productive places, he said.
New prison in Male region to cut costs
Every year, thousands of people are imprisoned, which is a huge expense for the state, the minister said, costing MVR 27,000 per month for each prisoner.
According to Ihsan:
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The President has decided to establish a new prison in the Male area
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The prison will be built on acquired land in the Male area, connected by bridge to the city
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The hope is to have it ready for use within three years
“This will reduce the cost of prisoners down to MVR 17,000 per head,” Ihsan said.
"Our hope is to reduce the cost of prisons, strengthen rehabilitation programs and get people out of there as soon as possible”.
