JEDDAH: The Makkah Governorate plans to improve the correctional programs in the region's prisons and penitentiaries, official sources from the governorate announced Friday.
They said under the directives of Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal an extensive workshop will be held at the governorate on Feb. 20 to discuss the best ways and means of improving the correctional programs.
The workshop will discuss five main topics: the improvement of the existing programs through the removal of all procedural obstacles, the role of the correctional programs in improving the conduct of prisoners, the creation of an atmosphere conducive to the success of the programs, considering the establishment of Awkaf (endowment) properties to ensure additional financial resources for the programs and the involvement of the private sector.
The governorate has invited representatives from a number of parties to participate in the workshop. The invitees include all the other governorates in the region, universities, the General Directorate of Prisons (DGP), the health, social and commercial sectors, the labor offices, the Makkah branch of the Ministry of Culture and Information, King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue, specialized academicians and a select group of businessmen.
While preparing for the workshop, officials from the governorate visited a number of prisons in the province to review the correctional programs being implemented. They also visited the DGP to acquaint themselves with its stand vis-a-vis the correctional programs.
The governorate also constituted a coordination committee to undertake preparations for the workshop under the director general of public rights in the governorate, Abdullah Al-Qarrash. The committee comprises representatives of prisons, social observation homes, the department of education, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawa and Guidance, the female sections in prisons and girl protection homes and others.
So far the committee has held two meetings to which it invited a number of academics and female social workers to discuss the themes of the workshop. It also dispatched some of its members to visit prisons and listen to the opinions of the prisoners regarding the correctional programs and their suggestions for their improvement.
Al-Qarrash considers the workshop a promising social partnership to unify the efforts of academics, government officials and security organs for the service of prisoners.
He said the correctional programs should be applied simultaneously on prisoners and the entire society to safeguard its members against crimes through awareness campaigns by the ministries of information and education.
© Arab News 2012
