Minister Umar: Dogs will be used to monitor Maafushi prison

Home Minister Umar Naseer said that dogs would be used in monitoring Maafushi prison to prevent drugs being smuggled into the prison.

In an event held to inaugurate the construction of a 20-foot high wall around Maafushi prison today, Minister Umar said that a special police team would monitor Maafushi prison by using dogs on a regular basis from the beginning of next year in order to prevent drugs being taken in to the prison, and a system to detect the use of mobile phones in the prison would be fixed in the prison before the end of next year.

Noting the limited number of Prison Officers when compared with the 800 prisoners in the prison now, Minister Umar said that modern philosophy was not to increase the number of staff but to use appropriate resources to strengthen prison security. In that regard, he said that keeping security guards in the prison could be replaced by establishing a monitoring mechanism by fixing cameras, by using auto locks in doors of prison, by fixing lights, and by constructing walls around the prison.

Umar said that by using these technologies and resources, bullying among prisoners like being bossy over other prisoners and using prisoners as slaves, could be stopped completely. He added that the aim was for prisoners to be rehabilitated, corrected, and to have earned some money, by the time they are released.

“We came for a duration of five years. When we complete our five years, this prison must be secured appropriately, it must give services and rehabilitation to the prisoners, and prisoners must be able to earn money to provide for their families,” said Home Minister Umar Naseer.