Home Minister: No harm must fall on inmates

Home Minister Imran Abdulla on Friday urged prison guards against committing any act that may hurt an inmate.

He made the appeal while speaking at the closing of the ninth basic training program in Certificate III in Custodial Management and Security, a program run by the Institute for Correctional Studies.

Speaking at the ceremony, Imran said that inmates must return to their families, better, and not worse off than when they were incarcerated.

Imran said that rehabilitation is the key focus of the state’s spending on corrections.

He expressed concern over the prevalence of crime in Maldives.

“We note with regret that the crime rate continues to increase in Maldives. We must engage in serious efforts to overcome this situation,” he said.

Imran noted the current administration had ordered an audit of prisons shortly after assuming office.

He said the authorities are engaged in efforts to fix the issues highlighted in the audit.

Imran said that the authorities have developed space to accommodate 230 more inmates in order to solve the issue of overcrowding, and that space for 180 more will be developed in the next two-three months.

He said that it still falls short of the capacity needs of prisons.