Saudi Gazette report





JEDDAH — The Directorate General of Prisons has turned the Jeddah prison into a hotel where various correctional, sports and cultural programs are offered for its 4,000 inmates.

Local daily Al-Madina, which toured the reformatory, said its is no longer a prison but a correction home with entertainment and educational programs.

"The Jeddah prison has become a residential complex supplied with advanced services including rehabilitation and entertainment programs in addition to educational and cultural activities," the newspaper said on Monday.

The facility has a library containing more than 12,000 books in various literary, intellectual and cultural specialties.

There are 134 prisoners who are currently enrolled in their general education including 29 who have joined the adult education, 41 in the intermediary stage and 64 in the secondary school.

There are 126 inmates doing their university studies in the colleges of economy, public administration, arts, human sciences, communications and media.

Lt. Col. Faiz Al-Ahmari, director of the reformatory, said the Directorate General of Prisons is concerned with correcting the prisoners and returning them back to society to be good members who will help themselves and the others.

He said about 300 prisoners are participating in sports competition, 30 involved in various art activities such as painting, sculpture and carpentry while 45 inmates are sewing a daily average of 200 outfits which are distributed among prisons all over the Kingdom.

Maj. Saleh Al-Obaidi, director of the department of correction and rehabilitation, said the correction programs start at 7 a.m. and concludes at 9 p.m.

He said the inmates who are doing their university degrees are studying at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.

"There are vocational programs which continue for three months in addition to computer programs that are aimed at further qualifying the inmates preparing them for the job market when they are released," he aid.