Forty Saudi women released from prison recently have been rejected by their families and now live in a shelter run by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
It was revealed by Mohammad Al-Zahrani, president of the National Committee for Prisoners, their Families and Ex-Convicts (Tarahum), who said that the committee needs three times its current budget to do its job properly. However, spokesman for the General Prison Directorate, Col. Ayoub bin Nuhait said only one percent of families with female members in prison, reject them on release. He said social workers and psychologists work with offenders, and their families, from the time they go to prison.
He said the directorate is trying to raise awareness that released prisoners are not “corrupted” members of society and have been rehabilitated. When a female prisoner is rejected by her family, the directorate assigns social workers to help resolve the matter.
Al-Zahrani said that the committee is entrusted with the welfare of released prisoners and their families and has a fund financed by the Ministry of Finance. The committee offers training and education scholarships for specializations needed in the labor market.
Al-Zahrani said previously those convicted for criminal offenses under Islamic law were not allowed to work or enroll in colleges. However, the late Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, changed this and allowed young people to occupy military and civil jobs.
The directorate rehabilitates inmates for the labor market and provides them with projects even in small prisons. There are gold workshops, plumping and sewing courses available. The directorate opened a school to teach inmates to drive trucks at Dammam prisons, to Saudize this sector, he said.
