‘Troubling correlation between education, jail’

THERE’S a troubling correlation between educational attainment and the incarceration rate, says director rehabilitation Waisale Soqonakalou.

According to the statistics, Mr Soqonakalou said most inmates dropped out of school at secondary school level.

“For Macuata, among those incarcerated is a staggering 34 individuals who failed to complete secondary education, while 19 did not finish primary school,” he said.

Shockingly, he said only one person had attained tertiary education before ending up behind bars.

“A total of 54 individuals in prison are from the province of Macuata, of which 16 have been convicted of crimes and the remaining held on remand,” he said.

Mr Soqonakalou said the correlation between education and involvement in criminal activities underscored the urgent need for targeted interventions to address educational disparities and provide opportunities for at-risk individuals in Macuata.

“The failure to address these underlying issues could perpetuate cycles of crime and incarceration, hindering the prospects of both individuals and the community at large.”

Mr Soqonaklou said the age distribution among prisoners painted a concerning picture with the most common age group being 31 to 35 years old.

Moreover, he said, it’s alarming to note that many of these individuals are imprisoned for offences related to rape.

“Adding to the complexity of the issue, the data reveals a distressing trend of older perpetrators.”

Two individuals aged between 61 and 80 years are among the oldest offenders presently in custody.