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Wanshika Kumar
Director for Rehabilitation at Fiji Corrections Services Senior Superintendent Salote Panapasa. Picture: FT FILE
There are 571 young inmates serving sentences at prison centres around Fiji.
This, according to Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) director rehabilitation Salote Panapasa.
Ms Panapasa said these inmates comprised 24 per cent of the total prison population.
She said the youths were between the ages of 17 and 25 years.
Meanwhile, the FCS appointed six volunteers under the Sow a Seed program to mentor young and first offenders.
Ms Panapasa said the Sow a Seed initiative would help FCS rehabilitate young offenders and prepare them before they were released.
Wanshika Kumar
The Korovou Prison complex. Picture: FT FILE/RAMA
There are a total 2379 inmates serving sentences in prisons in Fiji which is 12 per cent more than the prisons’ approved capacity.
This, according to Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) director rehabilitation Salote Panapasa at the Suva Women’s Corrections Centre at Walu Bay, Suva on Thursday.
“The prison approved capacity is 2129 but we have 2379 prisoners, therefore, we are housing 248 more prisoners which increased the overcrowding rate to 12 per cent,” she said.
She further stated there were 1659 convicted inmates while 474 were in remand.
Ms Panapasa said FCS’s main focus was on the treatment of offenders to ensure positive changes in their lives.