“Preparations have been completed in all youth rehabilitation centers in various regions in the Kingdom for the beginning of the new academic year,” said directorate spokesman Capt. Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al-Azzaz.

He added that the directorate had been working with the Ministry of Education to ensure inmates start the new academic year in line with other schools in the Kingdom.

Al-Azzaz said the directorate has supplied the classrooms and study halls, normally supervised by the Ministry of Education, with all educational tools and equipment and has also provided all other means to help inmates continue their education while they serve their prison terms.

“This is one of the ways to qualify them and enable them to find jobs when they are released so they can make a living,” he added.

He said Director General of Prisons Maj. Gen. Ali bin Hussain Al-Harithy has urged the directors of rehabilitation centers, the officers in charge of reformist programs at all prisons, social workers, teachers and instructors to supervise the start of studies and welcome student prisoners.

According to latest statistics made available to Arab News, there are 45 adult education and literacy schools for males in Saudi prisons, in addition to 26 intermediate and 22 secondary schools.

There are seven adult education and literacy schools for women prisoners. This brings the total of schools in prisons Kingdomwide to 100, including 250 classrooms with 576 teachers.

The same statistics reveal that there are 666 women and 1,858 men students currently continuing their education in prisons.

There are also 13 factories in various prisons for inmates to be trained on production in addition to a large number of libraries containing books and audio-visual materials.

Meanwhile, the committee responsible for providing care to prisoners, ex-convicts and their families told Arab News that a meeting to be held next month with education and prison officials would discuss a number of proposals concerning university education for prisoners.

Arab News also learned that the Islamic University in Madinah has exempted all its student prisoners from paying tuition fees.