Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu has stated the solutions to the problems that exist in the prison system do not need to be brought top-down. He made the remarks while speaking at the closing ceremony of the Middle Managers Refresher Programme conducted by the Institute for Correctional Studies of Maldives Correctional Service (MCS).
Speaking at the ceremony, the prison commissioner said one of the biggest challenges faced in resolving prison issues is the belief that all solutions need to be brought top-down. The commissioner said many problems can be resolved bottom-up too, with even low-ranking prison officers contributing to solutions. He said the most important tool to achieve bottom-up solutions is enhancing the educational and technical capabilities of prison staff.
Speaking further, Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu expressed concern over the lack of educated officers in certain ranks of MCS. In this regard, the commissioner noted while the percentage of graduates at MCS is 22.7%, this figure drops to just 4.3% in middle management and 2% in junior ranks. He said major efforts are being undertaken to provide professional education and training to prison officers and to build a capable workforce that can strengthen the operation of prisons. He requested the middle management officers who completed the refresher programme to fulfill their responsibility towards protecting the rights of inmates.
MCS stated 18 prison officers took part in the refresher programme, which was carried out for 5 days. The aim of this programme was to revisit some of the subjects and modules taught in basic training, and to ensure they are familiar with the regulations and policies of MCS.