How Dubai Police take care of women inmates and their kids
dubai — The aim of punitive and correctional establishments is not just to punish inmates, but also to rehabilitate them, a top police official has said.
Brigadier General Ail Al Shamali, director of general department of correctional institution at the Dubai Police, said that as many as 35 initiatives have been carried out for the welfare of the women prisoners and dozens of children who are living with them.
Al Shamali said that authorities give special care to women inmates lodged in Dubai Women’s Prison and their children. There are 400 women inmates and 40 children, including a new born and the oldest of them is eight years old.
He added that Commander-inchief of the Dubai Police announced the introduction of qualified nannies to take care of the children living in the jails during his last visit to the women’s prison. The children would stay with their mothers from 8am to 4pm and after that they would go to their wards. The children cannot be kept outside of the prison as some of the mothers delivered their children while serving their jail terms and also they do not have relatives here.
The Dubai Police are doing their the maximum to provide children and mothers with the best care available as per international standards, he added.
Kids learn through play here
The nursery for the inmates’ children at the women’s prison in Dubai is built on an area of 658 square metres and includes eight rooms, each with a capacity of seven beds. Next to each bed, a baby cradle has been placed. Indoor games are provided for children as well as they are encouraged to exercise daily. A small clinic, a dining hall and hall for activities and events, an educational room and area for reception and surveillance are also part of the nursery.
“All these measures help children integrate into other kindergartens when they come out of the prison,” he said. The nursery has been designed to provide the children with an ideal and healthy environment. Equipped with cribs, breastfeeding chairs, colourful curtains and blankets, a play area, and many toys, the room appears to be like any other crèche.
He explained that the new children will have the opportunity to be close to their mothers round the clock in a private dormitory or will have set time for breastfeeding. The nursery also provides private play areas as well as a small medical centre to take care of children.
“Children also learn through playing. So we have tried to provide the best suited environment for their physical growth, in addition to keeping an eye on their psychological health and upbringing without prejudices of the prison,” he added. He also said that concerned departments continuously review the needs of children and their mothers so that they live happily.
Financial aid
Brig. Gen. Al Shamali said that a financial aid touching Dh-5million had been spent on 2,821 inmates, which included payment of school fee, providing the children with school bags and Eid cloths, rent and monthly salaries to families of inmates, have been spent on the prisoners irrespective of their nationalities in this year alone.
He added that majority of inmates at the Dubai Central Jail are Asians, and cheque-related cases and illegal stay topped the crime lists while women inmates were mostly involved in adultery and other indecent acts.
Al Shamali said that the human care section of the Dubai Correctional Institution has also assured release of several inmates in 2017 by paying around Dh700,000 in blood money. He said that the inmates are pardoned thrice every year during Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Fitr and UAE National Day.