Social service is the art of helping people to develop life skills enabling them to live quality lives and become constructive members of society.

Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Foundation for Human Development has recently moved to develop computer centers in prisons with the aim of developing the IT skills of prisoners which will help them gain employment after their release and live a dignified life.

Issa Al-Ansari, secretary-general at the foundation, told Arab News: “The foundation has implemented a development program to enhance prisoners’ IT skills through computer courses and for those who already have them it will be an opportunity for them to refresh their skills.”

He explained that the computer centers are being established in two prisons in Dammam as part of social responsibility toward developing the community where almost 40 prisoners will be able to benefit from this training and rehabilitation program.

He said that the experiment is being tried out for the first time and its results will be closely monitored to see if they can be applied in other prison facilities.

“The training and rehabilitation programs are being established with the aim of rehabilitating the prisoners in society following their release and help them to lead respectable lives and contribute positively to society and their country,” Al-Ansari said.

He also said that the initiative was part of the charitable and development projects of the Foundation in the Kingdom in general and the Eastern Province in particular to achieve human development and delivery of services. He pointed out that 20 prisoners stood to benefit from the program while another "20 guest prisoners" were invited to join the program in Dammam for two weeks.

“The selected prisoners will learn computer skills and get training from computer professionals and experts in the field,” he said.

Al-Ansari said that they had already established six computer training centers last year in Dammam, Alkhobar, Al-Ahsa, Jubail and Qatif at social observation homes and hospitals. “We hope to establish two new computer centers in Jeddah and Madinah for the youth in the prisons,” he disclosed.

The foundation will also establish computer centers in Jazan and Arar in social rehabilitation homes, hospitals and prisons in the near future.

Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Foundation for Human Development’s main focus is the overall development of the youth through organizing workshops and conferences which enable them to hone their skills in different areas.