DAMMAM: About 31 percent of families of prisoners do not visit them, while 41.33 percent visit on special occasions only.

The percentage of families visiting inmates once every two weeks is 16.92 percent while 10.70 percent of families visit inmates once a week. These statistics come from a recent study dealing with correctional centers in the Kingdom.

The study, prepared by researcher Abdullah Al-Gashaam, showed that the age of the majority of inmates was between 20 and 35. Some 49.2 percent of prisoners are in this age group.

The 35-50 age group was second with 39 percent, while there are 11.8 percent of prisoners above 50 years of age.

The study said 70.5 percent of inmates are married with families, while 16.7 percent are single, and 12.8 percent are married without families. The study was released by Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS).

According to the study, 37 percent of inmates are illiterate, while 52.90 percent have high school diplomas. Postgraduates constitute 0.5 percent, and 9.6 percent have a university education. This indicates that education is significant to the individual as it protects from deviation.

The study also showed that 10.06 percent of inmates had previously been in correctional centers while 89.94 percent of them had not been. The relationship between educational and rehabilitative programs contributed to the reduction of law-breaking on the part of inmates, and helped them acquire skills and start a new life after their release.

The researcher said: “The numbers not visited by their relatives is worthy of attention for its negative impact on the family, especially children.”

He criticized what faces the prisoner after release which include society’s tendency to exclude him and be suspicious of his having reformed which makes his re-integration into society very difficult.