RIYADH, 21 September 2007 — Over 2,000 Saudi and expat families in the Kingdom, whose breadwinners are currently in jail, will be given coupons instead of cash to purchase food items from grocery stores, the National Committee for the Care of Prisoners, Released Prisoners, and their Families announced yesterday.
The announcement was made during a gathering of the committee’s board members at its headquarters in Riyadh. The committee’s president, Minister of Social Affairs Abdul Muhsin Al-Akkas, headed the meeting.
“The board has approved the distribution of coupons for the families of prisoners, which would enable them to buy what they need from grocery stores at whatever time they like,” a statement from the committee said.
The board also agreed to establish a “Best Mother Award” to express solidarity with mothers, whose husbands are in prison. The committee has assigned the Criminal Investigation Research Center at the Interior Ministry to nominate mothers for the award.
The committee also discussed the possibility of establishing a charitable endowment, which would fund the committee’s programs and provide a steady income for the government body. It said it would raise the matter with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Guidance, and Endowment.
Despite the committee running under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs, the committee acts purely on donations by philanthropists from across the Kingdom.
Among the committee’s mission is to provide necessary care for families of prisoners whose breadwinners are jailed and have no financial resource. It also organizes programs for families and holds rehabilitation programs for inmates at prisons.
