Fiji Times - Monday, May 17, 2010
THE Commissioner of Prisons' plea to the Kadavu Provincial Council to accept the responsibility of their men who are discharged from prison was answered by the council.
Fiji Prisons and Correctional Services Commissioner Brigadier Ioane Naivalurua pleaded with members of the Kadavu Provincial Council during their visit to the prisons facility last week.
"This year, 14 inmates from your province will be discharged from our care, so far six have been discharged, one has returned and eight are yet to be released.
"I am pleading with you today that you as the family, lotu and vanua accept responsibility and care of your sons who will be discharged, so that they don't come back to us," he said.
A statement on the Fiji prisons website quoted Brigadier Naivalurua as saying that it was a blessed job to look after children of God who had fallen off track.
Former Kadavu Provincial Council chairman Ratu Josefa Nawalowalo said the province agreed to support the Fiji prisons initiative.
He said the province would work with the prisons service, Ministry of Agriculture and other government agencies to form aftercare programs for ex-inmates.
Ratu Josefa said the province could use the skills the inmates learned in prison to develop infrastructure on Kadavu.
He said the visit to FPCS was an eye-opener and what they saw changed the negative perception they had.
Lau was the first province to visit the prison last year and provincial council delegates spoke to inmates.
Representatives from six of the 14 provinces have visited Naboro Prison to see what prisoners are doing to rehabilitate themselves and the skills being acquired to help them get jobs.
No comments:
Post a Comment