Government plans major Prisons Act amendment to empower Commissioner to transfer inmates to community service

The government is drafting amendments to the Prisons and Parole Act to grant the Commissioner of Prisons the authority to transfer inmates to community service after they are sentenced to such penalties, Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusaan said Tuesday.

Responding to a question by Sun at the press conference at the President's Office, Ihusaan said courts currently issue sentences of either imprisonment or community service. The planned amendment, he said, would allow the Maldives Correctional Service to operationalize community service sentences more effectively.

“We are bringing an amendment to the Prisons and Parole Act, which will be part of the changes submitted to the Attorney General’s Office, so the prison will also have the chance to make use of it,” Ihusaan said.

He noted that in many foreign jurisdictions, inmates are transferred to community service after authorities assess their behaviour. However, he stressed that community service is part of the court-issued sentence and must be enforced accordingly.

Ihusaan said the government is also working to strengthen the parole system through legislative changes.

In several countries, community service is used for first-time or minor offenders. In the UK, offenders may be sentenced to between 40 and 300 hours of community service. In Australia, the range extends from 40 to 750 hours, with probation officers closely monitoring compliance.

In larger jurisdictions, the authority to enforce community service sentences is typically vested in parole boards.