TABUK: An official of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) in Makkah has called for improving the environment at social welfare centers and constant monitoring to prevent minors from escaping.
He was reacting to reports that 37 minors escaped from social welfare centers across the Kingdom in the last five years, despite tightened controls by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.
Sulaiman Al-Zaydi, supervisor of the NHRC in Makkah, attributed the main reason for such escapes to “unaccommodating environment” at most rehabilitation centers.
Al-Zaydi said the NSHR has been following up on the issue. “The solution to the problem must be found through a selected group of experts in psychology, sociology and education, and by constantly monitoring the affairs of these shelters.”
He urged the ministry to benefit from specialized colleges to put in place appropriate programs and supervise implementation, besides relying on experiences of other countries.
“The trend is that the ministry forms a committee after every incident, resulting in recommendations to treat individual cases. What is needed is sustainable solutions to improve the environment at these shelters,” said Al-Zaydi.
“Solutions must take into account the privacy of inmates and their need for care that they lacked from their parents and families,” he added.
Some of the controls by the ministry include a fingerprinting system for employees to monitor admission and departure, and additional support to monitoring efforts.
According to reports, 20 juveniles escaped from shelters in Tabuk over the past five years. In 2012, nine minors escaped through the windows of the building. In 2014, a 17-year-old escaped through a fourth-floor window, while in 2016, police caught a minor who had escaped from the shelter. One week ago, eight minors successfully escaped, three of whom were later caught.
In Riyadh, seven minors escaped in 2013. In Arar in 2015 five minors escaped after breaking a window, despite the presence of a camera with monitoring screens for security personnel.
Two minors, accused of murder and theft in Abha, escaped in 2013, while in 2012, two minors escaped from their shelter in Najran through the back door. In 2016, in Hail, the director of a shelter was fired and a minor detained for escaping after a video went viral showing the smuggling of drugs and cigarettes into the shelter.
He was reacting to reports that 37 minors escaped from social welfare centers across the Kingdom in the last five years, despite tightened controls by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.
Sulaiman Al-Zaydi, supervisor of the NHRC in Makkah, attributed the main reason for such escapes to “unaccommodating environment” at most rehabilitation centers.
Al-Zaydi said the NSHR has been following up on the issue. “The solution to the problem must be found through a selected group of experts in psychology, sociology and education, and by constantly monitoring the affairs of these shelters.”
He urged the ministry to benefit from specialized colleges to put in place appropriate programs and supervise implementation, besides relying on experiences of other countries.
“The trend is that the ministry forms a committee after every incident, resulting in recommendations to treat individual cases. What is needed is sustainable solutions to improve the environment at these shelters,” said Al-Zaydi.
“Solutions must take into account the privacy of inmates and their need for care that they lacked from their parents and families,” he added.
Some of the controls by the ministry include a fingerprinting system for employees to monitor admission and departure, and additional support to monitoring efforts.
According to reports, 20 juveniles escaped from shelters in Tabuk over the past five years. In 2012, nine minors escaped through the windows of the building. In 2014, a 17-year-old escaped through a fourth-floor window, while in 2016, police caught a minor who had escaped from the shelter. One week ago, eight minors successfully escaped, three of whom were later caught.
In Riyadh, seven minors escaped in 2013. In Arar in 2015 five minors escaped after breaking a window, despite the presence of a camera with monitoring screens for security personnel.
Two minors, accused of murder and theft in Abha, escaped in 2013, while in 2012, two minors escaped from their shelter in Najran through the back door. In 2016, in Hail, the director of a shelter was fired and a minor detained for escaping after a video went viral showing the smuggling of drugs and cigarettes into the shelter.
