Women’s prison to have new kindergarten soon

Dubai Women’s Prison will soon have a new 720 square metre kindergarten centre for the children of inmates.

The building, which will have eight wards, complete with beds, cradles, a play area and toys is currently under constructions and is scheduled to be ready in 15 months, Arabic daily Al Bayan reported.

Being built following the directives of Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander in chief of Dubai Police, the building will also house a small health clinic, a huge hall that will work as a dining room as well as venue for special events and educative programmes.

Major Souad Yusuf Mohamed Saeed, Director of the women's prison said that the design of the nursery has been done taking into consideration the needs and requirements of the children.

“We provide them with the most appropriate atmosphere for their healthy and psychological upbringing, without prejudice to the security of the prison and the implementation of their mothers’ punishments.”

Dubai Police is the first institution in the region to allow children up to the age of two to stay in the prison with female inmates and provide all the facilities a child requires to grow in the early stage.

“A doctor from Al Wasl Hospital visits the prison every week to follow up with pregnant inmates as well as to examine kids and we have also arranged specific schedule to for inmates to feed and nurse their infants,” informed Major Souad.

Pregnant also get utmost care from the prison facilities who are transferred to Al Wasl Hospital during child birth.

Apart from taking care of the kids and pregnant women, Souad revealed that the prison has a comprehensive programme for the progress of all inmates which ranges from fitness facilities, beauty centres, skills development and education programmes as well as the Holy Quran learning programmes.

The prison has a well-equipped gym under the care of qualified trainer, which enables the inmates to maintain their fitness and figures while under detention.

The beauty centre inside the prison takes care of the inmates needs as well as training the interested convicts in beauty courses, which might help them get a job after serving their sentences.

Besides this, the prison authorities have also started year-long courses in fashion design and interior décor as well as initiating short courses in handicraft and embroidery.

The police authorities have also set up a boutique at the Bin Souqat Mall in Rashidiya, that displays and sells wares produced by the inmates.

Dubai Police recently hosted an exhibition of products made by inmates and plans a series of shows to promote the products, which includes paintings, clothing, toys, handicraft etc. of high quality with prices ranging from Dh3000 to Dh300.

Another important programme that is benefitting the inmates immensely is the learning and memorizing of Holy Quran under the banner of Dubai International Holy Quran Award.

Around 200 female inmates are benefiting from the programme which helps the women to learn and reform and go back to the society as better individuals.

The programme runs four courses of three months each every year and helps reduce sentences of the convicts.

According to the system, if a person memorises the entire Quran 20 year of his/her sentence would be reduced while those who memorise half of the Quran would get 10 years of their sentence reduced and those who memorise one-third will get five years of their sentence reduced.