In 2016 there was a 40 percent reduction in the number of women offenders in corrections centres compared to the 2015 data.
Minister for Women Mereseini Vuniwaqa highlighted this in parliament while speaking on the Review Report of the Committee on the Fiji Corrections Service Annual Report 2016.
Vuniwaqa adds that it is encouraging that in 2015 there were 89 women offenders in corrections centres while in 2016 there were 48.
While contributing to the debate Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum highlighted that the Fiji Corrections Service needs to have a different approach and he touched on one of the advancements by the Corrections Service in providing officers with training in specific areas on the Bangkok Rules, Tokyo Rules and the Mandela Rules.
Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
The Attorney General also touched on the recent issue of contraband adding that one of the reports discussed was in respect where the committee recommended hand held scanners and permanent scanners because there were a lot of contraband items going into the Corrections Centre.
Leader of Opposition Sitiveni Rabuka says that he believes Fiji needs correctional and rehabilitation efforts on both sides of the prison walls.
Rabuka adds that our ability as a society to be able to embrace and integrate former inmates goes a long way into making sure that they do not reoffend when we take them into our communities and villages and try to consider them as ordinary members of our society.
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