Kinoya youths join Correction officers in training

Youths from Kinoya today joined officers of the Fiji Corrections Service in their normal early morning physical training exercise at Suva Point.

Superintendent Salote Panapasa, who is also from the Kinoya community said the youths are currently camping as part of their annual Methodist Youth Fellowship event.

“This year the theme is discipline so I thought it would be good for the youths to come out like this and experience the way officers in a disciplined service conduct themselves,” Panapasa said.

While addressing the youths, Yellow Ribbon coordinator Jale Vosadrau said there are currently 1540 inmates in FCS custody.

“Most of these inmates belong to Christian denominations and they belong to provinces around Fiji. What can you do to help them,” Vosadrau challenged them.

“Offenders are not bad people, they have just made a wrong turn in life and they need our support to get their footing back in society."

He said inmates who have served their time needed to be accepted back and be given a second chance.

“Another message we are trying to send out to the community is that there is nothing heroic about prison life," Vosadrau said.

“It’s nothing to be proud of. Prison life is a mere waste of time so if you think you can come in and have a good time, you’re wrong.

“Despite the positive rehabilitation programmes we have for offenders inside, think about what you could be doing outside instead."

Corrections spokeswoman Ana Tamani said Kinoya was one of their ‘red zone’ areas in which the department was targeting its awareness programmes.

FijiLive