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Fiji’s Prisons Service will be given a $100,000 government grant next year to help rehabilitate ex-prisoners in a project aimed at reducing poverty levels in Fiji.
The Fiji Prisons and Corrections Service (FPCS) and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation today signed a memorandum of understanding formalising a partnership between the two State agencies.
The funding will be provided out of the ministry’s poverty alleviation program and will be administered under the ambit of the FPCS.
Social Welfare permanent secretary Govind Sami said the FPCS’ expertise in prisoner rehabilitation prompted the ministry to pursue the partnership.
“Our lack of expertise in dealing with ex-offenders and limited availability of resources in assessing, supervising and monitoring projects for this particular clientele was becoming evident,” Sami said at a press conference.
“Seeing the success of the Yellow Ribbon Program, we realised that the type of assistance ex-offenders will be better targeted by the Fiji Prisons.”
Prisons Commissioner Brigadier Ioane Naivalurua welcomed the grant saying it will help the FPCS do its work better.
“The grant will be a way of improving our rehabilitation program. However, let me remind you, that this will not be a handout; funds from this grants will only go to those that are willing to change,” Naivalurua said.
“We must have a degree of certainty to ensure that the recipient receiving assistance from this grant wants to change and has shown the aptitude to change.”
The $100,000 rehabilitation grant will be reviewed every year. The grant will be issued in quarterly disbursements of $25 000. The FPCS will be responsible for the acquittals of funds.
Prisons department spokesman Fred Elbourne told FijiLive that the conditions under which the money will be given to ex-prisoners are yet to be finalised.
“We are hoping to help as many ex-offenders possible in one quarter. It depends on their business proposal,” said Elbourne.
