RIYADH, 4 June 2007 — Unemployment among Saudis is one of the major reasons contributing to the spread of drug abuse in the Kingdom, according to a study released yesterday. The research paper also discussed the need to establish more drug rehabilitation centers in the Kingdom. At present, there are only three to serve the entire country.

“Some 90,000 people go to these hospitals on a yearly basis for treatment,” said Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Ghuraib, a speaker at the 2nd Symposium for Reforms and Rehabilitation in Correctional Institutions. “I believe that three hospitals are not enough,” he said.

Al-Ghuraib mentioned that some 50,000 drug-related cases in Saudi Arabia were identified in 2005; the cases can be divided between consumption, smuggling, and trafficking, according to statistics provided by the Interior Ministry.

Drug usage in Saudi Arabia is also on the rise. In fact, according to statistics by the Interior Ministry, it increases by 17 percent every year. Broken families as well as poor education are also reasons why many people in the Kingdom turn to drugs, the study said.

It mentioned that those detained on drug charges in the Kingdom and then released were very likely to return to their old habits.

Al-Ghuraib said that the age group of those who returned to drug consumption after being released from jail was between 25-45.

The reasons for this are many, including community rejection, family and financial problems. “The biggest problem is that society refuses to integrate them,” Al-Ghuraib said.

The rejection of former prisoners by the Saudi community is a major problem which contributes to their returning to their former criminal behavior patterns, researchers said. They said that according to studies, released prisoners are widely rejected by society. They are rejected when they propose; they are rejected by family and friends and they are rejected at work.

Sheikh Abdullah Al-Yahya, deputy minister of justice who was one of the speakers, pointed out how people in Saudi Arabia look upon everyone in the prisoner’s family as wrongdoers. “Not only are the prisoners affected but their spouses and children suffer too. They are called sons or family members of a jail bird,” he said.

He also said that family members themselves rejected their relatives who had been released from prison and that this in turn led to feelings of isolation and more problems.

Al-Yahya explained that all section of society had a responsibility to integrate released prisoners back into society.

A nationwide program to integrate released prisoners back into the community is currently being studied by the General Directorate of Prisons in Saudi Arabia, an official from the directorate announced.

Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Harthi, head of the directorate of prisons, said the proposed nationwide program would take approximately five years to be successful.

“We are currently waiting for sponsors for the program,” he said.

Al-Harthi pointed out that it was not the duty of the General Directorate of Prisons to study the phenomenon of rejected released inmates but that it had taken the initiative because of its sense of responsibility toward the community.