Drug Court: Rehabilitation system has failed; enforced duration of sentences also reduced

Drug Court Judge Adam Arif, on Monday, citing the drug rehabilitation system has filed, has said that the duration of sentences served by the offenders is also decreasing “for some unknown” reason.

Speaking at Parliament’s Judiciary Committee on Monday, Judge Arif said the offenders treated within the rehabilitation system over the past 12 or so years, have repeatedly reentered the system multiple times.

He attributed this to a failure in the rehabilitation system.

“This a huge service provided by the state to the public. I believe offenders are coming in repeatedly, even a fourth time, for surely because a couple of things have failed within the system,” he said.

Judge Arif said offenders are repeatedly reentering the rehabilitation system because they are not properly treated initially,

“They come in for a third time, when treatment also failed the second time. One of the main reasons behind a fourth such a time is such offenders being dropped from treatment and a reduction in the duration of time they serve their sentences while in prison for some reason. It is possible this is a shift towards a pardon system,’ he detailed.

Judge Arif stressed that the reduction in the duration of the sentence of the offenders opens the door for such an individual to re-offend.

“When they get the chance, the abuse drugs again and return to Drug Court,” he added.

According to the latest information publicized by Maldives Police Service, 4,500 people have been sentenced to drug rehabilitation over the past seven years or so.

Drugs remain one of the most prevalent social issues in the Maldives with a total of 1,674 drug-related cases reported last year alone.