Hathifushi Jail to be a halfway house

miadhu
Hathifushi Low Risk jail established and operated by Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services in the island of Hathifushi of Ha atoll will in future be a half way house between a primary Jail and prison and the society, Deputy Home Minister Dr. Mohamed Waheed has said.

Dr. Waheed said so speaking at a news conference held at press room Fansavees / Dharubaaruge yesterday.

According to deputy minister Waheed Hathifushi Low Risk Jail will emerge as a half way house for inmates noted for good behavior serving time in Maafushi Jail. He said prisoners noted for good behavior from Maafushi jail will be transferred to Hathifushi facility and eventually released to the society.

He said inmates will behave very differently in a low risk facility, such as Hathifushi, to inmates living in a high security prison.

“In a high security prison, prisoners will spend most of the time locked up in cells; expect for small periods of time allocated for exercise, a cell may have two, three or even four prisoners, but in a low risk facility, such as Hathifushi, prisoners will not be locked up, they will be free to go outside, free to work and earn, opportunities will be provided to inmates to work and receive salaries “he said.

Dr. Waheed further said inmate found to be disobeying orders will be sent back to Maafishi Jail and that if inmates continue their good behavior they will be released to society on parole.

“When they are on parole, they will be monitored, and if they complete their parole period with out any further trouble they will be freed” Waheed said.

Waheed revealed that at present inmates are using houses used by previous inhabitants of the island who migrated to another island nearly two years, and that not every thing is ideal and shortcomings are to be expected.

Waheed said all inmates who were transferred to the facility are aware of this shortcoming and were transferred with their full consent.

“The houses used by inmates were used previous inhabitants of the island when they lived in the island nearly two years ago, these houses may not be the best, they have not been used for over two years, there will the occasional issue like leaking roofs or blocked toilet drains and so forth” he said.

Commenting on the report produced by Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM), Waheed said the report is a constructive report and shortcomings highlighted in the reported have to be corrected.

“Some of them have already corrected, things like communication has been solved, telephones has been installed” he said.

When asked whether they were any plans to transfer women prisoners to Hathifushi Low Risk facility, Deputy Minister Dr.Waheed replied that “in a low security jail, prisoners will free to move around within a certain boundary, so in this kind of situation there is no plans to transfer any women prisoners to the facility as yet, especially during this initial stage” Dr. Waheed.