JEDDAH: A correctional services facility for women and young girls in Makkah has successfully ensured the marriage of 326 and persuaded the guardians and parents of 225 others to take them home.

Many of the inmates at the facility were involved in various criminal acts including drug abuse, theft, murder and running away from their homes, according to a report in a local publication on Friday.

Hafsa Shoaib, director of the institution, said there are now 30 women at the shelter, 76 percent of whom admitted to escaping from their homes and guardians because of abuse or family problems.

Shoaib said it was important for the women to get support after they serve their sentences so that they can become productive members of society. She said there are several rehabilitative, psychological and community programs to ease their integration into society.

When families do not want to take them back, then officials from the governorate and the National Committee for the Care of Jailed and Released Prisoners intervene to provide mediation. If parents still refuse, they are sent to a Social Affairs Ministry shelter.

Shoaib said all new inmates have to undergo mandatory medical checks before they can interact with others at the facility, to ensure they do not have contagious diseases. The institution has a small clinic staffed by a gynecologist and two nurses around the clock.

Shoaib said the facility also has quality bedrooms, a large kitchen with cooks offering meals prescribed by the ministry. They are also encouraged to continue their education, regardless of their circumstances, she said.

She said 13 girls are currently enrolled in the institution’s school, in middle and high school. The school contains 20 laptops, a blackboard, and other material provided by the department of education in Makkah.

Those who have served their sentences are allowed to continue their studies at other schools, with no mention made of where they had been incarcerated, to protect their privacy. Many former inmates have completed their studies and are now working in the health and education sectors, she said.

Others who do not want to continue their schooling are enrolled in daily Qur’an memorization classes, handicrafts and art programs, so that they can learn to paint, draw, sculpture, sew and cook.

Those involved in conflict and violence are isolated from the general community after receiving permission from a judge. Shoaib said that parents must monitor their daughters’ behavior carefully.