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Fiji’s President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau visited the Naboro Prison complex yesterday and told inmates there that strong family bonds and moral education in early childhood were vital in keeping the prisons at minimum numbers.
“65 percent of the prison populations are between the ages of 17 to 30, majority of who are school dropouts at secondary level, which raises serious concerns in the society,” Nailatikau said.
He commended the work of the Prison Correctional Service involvement in various initiatives like the Yellow Ribbon Project that has helped see a gradual decline in repetitive offenders in prison.
“The efforts to assist ex-offenders in social integration as well as the new approach of handing prisoners over to their families upon release are humane gestures and must be commended.”
Nailatikau also took note of the need to develop the infrastructure at the prison.
“This needs to be in compliance with the international standards but will require a hefty injection of capital into the prisons annual budget.”
