An Unique Rehabilitation Program Designed to Assist Inmates
An Unique Rehabilitation program designed to assist inmates
In 2006, the UAE Ministry of the Interior, in collaboration with the Higher Colleges of Technology, initiated a bold and unique training and development program custom-designed to provide prison inmates with soft skills and technical competencies that would help them join the workforce upon release and to be positively reformed and reintegrated with the society.
HCT commenced the delivery of this Work Readiness Certificate program at the Al Wathba Correctional Facility in February 2007 with 61 participants.
Correctional Education is a specialized subset of education. In many countries, correctional education has been cobbled together by various state or federal departments who have little expertise in the education required for juvenile or adult offenders.
The Higher Colleges of Technology has worked to provide this unique program which includes academic education together with practical and psychological rehabilitation. On completion of the program, inmates receive a certificate from the Ministry of Higher Education, which allows them to be employed on a specific civil service pay grade of 4/2.
Based on similar work readiness program models offered in Canada, Australia and UK, the HCT designed this program to best fit the socio-cultural environment and the rapid development of UAE society.
The program consists of two main parts. The first part is an academic and career program in which the inmates study the HCT courses necessary for obtaining a Work Readiness Program (WRP) certificate. This involves studying for 25 hours per week for four semesters.
The courses focus on the needs of the public and private sector labor markets: English language, business communication, math, and computer skills including the International Computer Driving License (ICDL).
The second part focuses on the personal and psychological rehabilitation of inmates. It identifies ways to overcome various forms of deviation, in both theory and practice, and it encourages inmates to rehabilitate for their personal and professional needs.
The program falls within a job skills framework that has been specifically designed to match the types of deviant behavior that led the inmates to their current situation. Moreover, the HCT has developed a special workshops program led by psychologists who help inmates discover self worth, self-confidence and ways to overcome their areas of weakness (such as anger management, resistance to drug addiction and corruption).
HCT’s counselors also provide treatment sessions for individual students, according to their specific needs.
Modern classrooms have been created in the prison, equipped with a library and computer lab and the latest educational technologies including electronic smart boards, multimedia projector, and Internet connection.
A radical change in the behavior and personalities of the inmates has been noted at the Al Wathba Correctional Facility. They are motivated to study, even during the independent learning week. They participate in many competitions. The activities and competitions are focused on social objectives and they have created a spirit of collective action among the students.
The period of practical training for the first group of students is coming to an end and preparations are now being made for their graduation in February 2009. Sixteen of the 23 students have been recruited to special positions in different sectors with monthly salary range from 9000 AED plus other benefits to all-inclusive 22,400 AED per month. It is anticipated that all of the students will be employed by the time of February’s graduation.
