Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Drug Agency (NDA) to conduct drug rehabilitation programmes at prisons targeted for inmates serving a sentence for drug-related offences.
Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu signed the MoU on behalf of MCS, while the Acting CEO Mohamed Rameez signed on behalf of NDA. Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem and Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla also joined the signing ceremony.
Under the MoU, NDA will be assisting MCS in conducting drug rehabilitation programmes at prisons targeted for inmates serving a sentence for drug-related offences for the duration of MoU, which is a period of one year. The drug rehabilitation programmes will be conducted by trained and specialised doctors, nurses, counsellors, case workers and prison officers of MCS. In addition, NDA will also assist to conduct the aftercare programme for participants following the completion of in-house or residential programmes.
The MoU also encourages verifying the sustainability of the programmes through data collection, revising the programme based on the evaluation of the collected data and compilation of a procedure to monitor inmates of the programme after their released back in to the society after the completion of their sentence.
A high percentage of inmates currently at prisons are serving time for drug-related offences. From the number of inmates brought to prison to serve sentences in 2021, a total of 184 inmates were sentenced to prison for drug-related offences from January 2021 to October 2021.
MCS stated the initiation of a drug rehabilitation programme at prisons will help inmates with substance abuse issues considerably, adding this marks a milestone in the efforts of MCS to rehabilitate and reform inmates in time for their return to the society as good citizens upon the completion of their sentences.