Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) has transferred 32 prisoners to the custody of their families after completing a drug rehabilitation programme.
Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla and Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu met with the prisoners prior to their transfer in order to congratulate and encourage them. The prisoners were transferred after agreeing to certain conditions and will be monitored for one year.
In February, MCS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Drug Agency (NDA) to conduct drug rehabilitation programmes at prisons targeted at inmates serving a sentence for drug-related offences. NDA is assisting MCS in conducting drug rehabilitation programmes at prisons targeted at inmates serving a sentence for drug-related offences for the duration of MoU, which is a period of one year. The drug rehabilitation programmes are being conducted by trained and specialised doctors, nurses, counsellors, case workers and prison officers of MCS.
In addition, NDA is assisting to conduct the aftercare programme for participants following the completion of in-house or residential programmes. The MoU encourages verifying the sustainability of the programmes through data collection, revising the programme based on the evaluation of the collected data and compilation of a procedure to monitor inmates of the programme after their release back into society after the completion of their sentence.
A large number of inmates in prisons are serving time for drug-related offences. MCS stated the initiation of a drug rehabilitation programme at prisons will help inmates with substance abuse issues considerably and marks a milestone in the efforts of MCS to rehabilitate and reform inmates in time for their return to society as good citizens upon the completion of their sentences.