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Second group of pardoned convicts to be released next week

Second Chance Program Office has announced tonight that the second round of convicts, who have been pardoned by President Mohamed Nasheed in accordance with his decision to give selected criminals a second chance to come back to society, would be released during the next week.

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Speaking to the press at the Second Chance Program Office, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mohamed “Monaza” Naeem said that 100 pardoned criminals would be taken off sentence implementation in the second round. During the first round, 47 convicts were released, which means there will be 253 more to come in the third round and onwards.

Naeem said that 100 people to be released next week had been brought to Malé, and that they were already undergoing the 7-day special rehabilitation program custom-designed for them, which would help them to integrate back into the society. The program would instruct convicts on life skills and on how to start leading a good life as law-abiding citizens. The program would be conducted at the Second Chance Program Office.

“We all know that the President has the right to grant clemency. We are expecting to release some 100 pardoned convicts during the next week, probably on Tuesday. We have modified the procedure for the program, and 103 convicts have been relocated at Malé Jail, and they are currently completing a 7-day program, which will have 25 hours of instruction. Out of them, 100 shall be released”, said Naeem.

The first round of pardoned convicts had to undergo a similar training program, but of only 4 hours. Naeem said that the duration and contact hours for the program had been increased as the experience of the first round indicated that 4 hours were not enough to deliver all the instructions they needed.

Naeem said that no reports of any misdemeanor had come regarding the first round of released convicts. He also said that they had all been participating in the various courses and rehabilitation programs designed for them by the Second Program Office. “They had spent long periods behind bars, away from the society. Hence, we had some issues like late attendance in the programs at the beginning. However, such issues have also been solved, and they are fully cooperating with us now”, Naeem said. According to Naeem, 16 of them had already begun training in the field of engineering at Girifushi Training Centre with the Maldivian National Defence Forces, while 6 of them had started jobs.

“Some of them had started work in the fisheries, agriculture and business sector. There are others who want to go into IT, graphics designing, heavy load work and tourism industry, and we will provide them with suitable and satisfactory opportunities during the next week. We have been negotiating with prospective employers, and they are very positive”, Naeem said.

400 convicted criminals, who had been serving their sentences, had been listed for release by President’s special pardon conditionally. They are released on condition that they should maintain an unblemished record for a period of 3 years as dutiful citizens. If any of them defaults within the period, they are set to go back to serving the remaining part of their sentences, whether in jail or exile. If they complete the three-year period without any criminal activities, their pardon would become absolute.

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