Issues about the prison, prisoners and crime are fast becoming a hot topic among many Maldivians. Headlines about the prisons and prison related issues blast through the media, penetrating our brains with concern every day.
These bits of news affect the daily life and conscience of all Maldivians.
Some of the headlines reported in the local media in the past 4 days are quoted below.
14.01.2009
‘Minimum security jails in Himmafishi begins its operations’
‘Man arrested at ViliMale on drugs charges’
Maafushi Jail detainees hospitalized at Hulhumale'
‘Police arresting more drug dealers’
13.01.2009
‘HRC calls for convicts under house arrest to be kept isolated from society ’
‘15 arrests on drugs cases last week’
‘Convicts to be given rehabilitation chance as soon as Law permits’
12.01.2009
’Maafushi shootings victim seeks compensation’
‘2 men arrested for assault at Inguraidhoo’
11.01.2009
‘4 Men Arrested for Assault’
’Maafushi Inmates Go on Hunger-Strike Again’ (95% of inmates are now believed to be taking part in the protest)
‘Parents of Maafushi Inmates Protest’
The headlines reflect several things.
An effort is being made by the concerned authorities to deal with crime and prison issues by opening new jails, attempting rehabilitation, while prisoners and parents are fighting for the rights they believe the prisoners ought to have. HRC also has something to say…
Definitely these are interesting developments.
But as I read these news pieces, my thoughts blast inside my brain, creating several queries on my mind.
Why on Earth are People Imprisoned in the First Place?
My understanding is that people are generally imprisoned to protect the society and for purposes of prevention of crime. It is also a sort of revenge against criminals as they must be given what they deserve and this is done with the hope that due to imprisonment they may learn to regret having committing crimes in the first place. Thus, rehabilitation programmes are run in the prison, with the hope that it will deter them from committing further crimes.
By imprisoning criminals we also allow others in the society to believe that crime is something that cannot be tolerated. The underlying message is that those who commit crimes will have to face the consequences for their actions.
I believe we must have zero tolerance to crime. We must not allow criminals to dictate terms to those they have wronged. By striking in the prisons, or just because parents are joining their sons or daughters in these strikes, their criminal sentences cannot be overlooked on humanitarian grounds (provided that their human rights are not violated). They must serve their sentences in the prison and they must not be released due to the pressures of these strikes.
It is however, a different matter how the rule of law has defined ‘criminals’ and passed judgment for imprisonment.
So Where Should These Criminals Be Imprisoned and What’s The Difference Between a Jail and a Prison?
Although ‘jalu’ is the common term we Maldivians use to refer to prison and jail they normally do not mean the same.
Generally, jails imprison offenders who have got short sentences, or to house those who are awaiting trial and inmates frequently change due to the short duration of their stay, etc. Jails in different parts of the world are comparatively smaller than prisons and generally do not offer rehabilitation programmes.
However, prisons house long term offenders; they often offer several rehabilitation programs and have several facilities and services which are offered to the inmates. Prisons may be divided into several levels.
So now we are told that a minimum security ‘jail’ has been opened at Himmafushi. Is this a prison or jail? Have we had such a prison before??
What happened to Gaamaadhu prison? What sort of prison/ jails do we have at Dhoonidhoo?
Did we ever have a prison where rehabilitation has been tried? What sort of Jalu did we have at Feydhoofinolhu before? What will happen differently now? Who will do it differently and why will anything be done differently? Did anything go wrong with the prisons in Maldives? Has any research ever been done in this area? If not, why not? What is going to be done differently now or is this just “cactus by another name?” ( will continue…..)
2 comments:
Government is spending a lot of money to accommodate them in jails, provide food and medical services. In addition, those drug rehabilitation programmes cost a lot. This is a lot of money the government is spending from their citizens' pockets. Government money is owned by its citizens and it is spent for them whichever way the government decides.
I'm concerned of government spending more to criminals than innocent people like me. After all, they have many rights while I havent spoken of mine. He have better food than I rightfully get.
More than 80% of "Kuhverin" on drug related offences, there;s no existing rehabilitation service available in the 'jalu'
infact people with drug-related problems often have multiple treatment needs across a range of personal, social and economic areas.
However, drug abuse problems now cause a substantial burden to our society and, it is vital to invest time and energy in responding to those problems. Such an investment is of particular importance in resource-poor settings like Maldive jail/jalu where hidden costs and burdens related to drug abuse problems (for example,
costs to the health system, loss of productivity at work and criminal justice costs) cause substantial demands on resources that might be directed elsewhere
if comprehensive prevention and appropriate intervention
strategies were in place.
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