The Industrial Institute for Training was inaugurated in Taif by the region’s Gov. Fahd bin Abdulaziz bin Muammar on Monday.
The institute launched with the aim of developing the prisoners psychologically, socially, professionally and morally while they serve their sentences in order to make them respectable citizens for the benefit of society.
Director of Taif Prisons Brig. Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Shari thanked the government led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, for their support and efforts to reform and rehabilitate prisoners.
Al-Shari also said they are keen to cooperate with other government agencies and ministries to rehabilitate prisoners in terms of education, professional training, religious guidance and health care. “The guidance and rehabilitation of prisoners are vital and important for the benefit of the society, human dignity and are also part of Islamic teachings to help others,” he said. “It is also important to achieve the main goal of reforming prisoners and for the development of a good mechanism and fundamental principles to achieve this,” he added.
He added the Directorate General of Prisons at the Ministry of Interior is closely working with the General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training for the implementation of training programs for prisoners to improve their training environment.
Dr. Rashid bin Mohammed Al Zahrani, director of technical education for Makkah and Chairman of the Technical and Vocational Training Institute Makkah, explained 13,240 trainees from 36 industrial institutes for training in prisons learnt skills such as mechanics, carpentry, electrician skills, construction, plumbing, welding, blacksmithing, tailoring, painting, refrigeration maintenance, air-conditioning maintenance, computer programming, computer maintenance, hairdressing, electronics, office work, and handicrafts.
“The technical and vocational training institute will continue its work in all prisons in Jeddah, Taif and Makkah for the rehabilitation and training of the prisoners,” said Al-Zahrani. He added the trainees will get their professional certificates from the industrial institute and in future if anyone wants to open their own enterprises they can join the National Institute for Entrepreneurship’s self-employment program.
Al-Zahrani also said the Makkah Technical Education Council with the cooperation of the Directorate General of Prisons in the region is planning to implement several specialized training programs in the region.
Institute set up to reform prisoners
