Drive to foster values among jail inmates

abu dhabi — Reading will be introduced as a therapeutic method of rehabilitation for the inmates of punitive and correctional institutes in the UAE, it was announced on Thursday.

The ‘Reader Makers’ initiative is launched by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, as part of the UAE’s Month of Reading activities, and aims to expand inmates’ intellectual knowledge and foster cultural and ethical values by encouraging them to read.

Eligible inmates will be provided books based on their interests and needs, following which they will be required to submit an article on any book read by or to them during reading sessions. Additionally, the initiative will provide inmates with children’s books giving them the opportunity to read to their children over phone.

The ‘Reader Makers’ initiative encompasses a comprehensive three-stage programme, which employs reading as a powerful form of therapy. The first stage reinforces the importance of reading through reference books on the benefits of reading in addition to dictionaries and encyclopaedias. The second stage focuses on self-help books related to behavioural issues and anxiety management. The final stage of the programme includes advanced-level books related to sciences and various fields.

Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, praised the Ministry of Interior for its support and various contributing entities for their efforts and cooperation in fostering the cultural environment.

Al Kaabi also called upon institutions to participate in the initiative reflecting the UAE’s unrelenting support for its people regardless of their circumstances or place of domicile to help promote reading and improve social awareness amongst the Emirati society.