Cases involving debts and nonviolent offenses (other than fraud, theft, bounced checks and alimony cases) should not lead to the imprisonment of an offender, said Khalid Al-Nowaiser.

Creditors should call for other remedies rather than imprisonment of debtors who can’t pay back their loans, he added.

Al-Nowaiser suggested alternatives to imprisonment, such as seizing assets or establishing liens, a travel ban on the offender, the freezing of bank accounts or garnishing wages. By employing these means, creditors would be fully protected without denying the debtor his ability to earn a living to pay back the debt.

Al-Nowaiser added that the bail of indemnity should be canceled and replaced by a financial bail, because the bail of indemnity is a clear and direct call for imprisonment, not only for debtors but also for their guarantors. As a result, both he who incurs the debt and the person who guarantees it expose themselves to the possibility of imprisonment, thus affecting their families, friends and employers. He said that a prison is a place for criminals, fraudsters and cheaters, not for insolvent persons.

He added that there are many negative consequences arising from imprisonment, because one’s incarceration becomes a gateway to criminality, mental illness and exposure to violence.

Meanwhile, the family of the imprisoned debtor loses the income and the support of the family member. Al-Nowaiser said the cost of incarceration is about SR11,000 per month per prisoner.