The Fiji Corrections Service intends to create awareness and engage the community in discussions to help address the increase in the number of inmates who are members of the Fiji Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma.
To achieve this, the Fiji Corrections Service has this week been meeting with the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma and communities around its 15 Corrections Centers.
Spearheading this program, Fiji Corrections Service Chaplain Reverend Josefa Tikonatabua stressed people have to start calling a spade a spade, and admit that something is going wrong somewhere in how children are being brought up as Christians or as members of the Methodist community.
He says there are 691 inmates who are classified under the Methodist denomination out of a total of 2,409 inmates under their care.
Tikonatabua adds if we also look at the nature of their crimes and their places of residence, quite a big number reside in their own villages, so this outreach program is to help inspire discussions and to shake people’s thoughts so they can see for themselves what people are missing out on that is causing these people to commit crimes.
Rewa CARE Committee member Alipate Senikuta from the village of Nadoi says that it was time the Vanua and the Church take ownership of its own throughout the country.
He says their committee in Rewa has been running for some time and they are thankful to the current leadership that a platform has now been set to allow for their participation in the reintegration of our own and their rehabilitation in the long run.
This week’s outreach programs also targeted those areas which are known hubs of criminal activities.
The Fiji Corrections Service will complete the one-week visitation program this Sunday.
