The Corrections Service is one part of the criminal justice system that was highly neglected for many years.
Attorney General and Minister for Justice Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum highlighted this at the commissioning of the newly constructed Ba Corrections Center kitchen and dining hall.
Sayed‑Khaiyum says it was neglected from the perspective of the facilities for the inmates and the conditions in which they were imprisoned.
He says the condition ranged from sanitation to bedding and to the structure of the buildings.
He says at the same time the Corrections officers too in respect to the facilities that were offered to them, the career paths and the specific training that was required to run a modern Corrections Service.
The Attorney General says there is an obvious need to rectify the situation.
@FijiAG opens the new kitchen, dining hall and multi-purpose court at the Ba Corrections Facility. pic.twitter.com/21HfiBZGVA
— Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (@FijiAG) January 31, 2018
He says the Fiji First government has for a number of years been making inroads to the areas that needed to be addressed in the Corrections Service.
The Minister says in the criminal justice system, people tend to be concerned about when a particular crime has been committed and in getting the culprits, we may be concerned about the outcome of the court ruling, but then we tend to forget about the last segment of the justice system.
He says when the inmates are imprisoned, it is important to provide an environment for them to realize their self-worth to be able to understand they are being treated with dignity and respect.
Sayed‑Khaiyum says if that thought process can be instilled, then better rehabilitation can be achieved for those that are behind the prison walls.
He says the rate of repeat offenders in Fiji was 50 percent at one stage which has decreased and that is through the Yellow Ribbon program and the various rehabilitation programs that are taking place.
