[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="Prisoners display talent" ids="128780,128781,128782,128783,128785"] By Badea Abu Al-Naja PRISONS in general are considered to be a place of isolation where inmates serve their time with minimal interaction with society. But the Central Prison in Dhahban, north of Jeddah, has a different story to tell. The prison runs programs to nurture hidden talent in inmates along with courses that help them secure a decent living and lead normal life upon their release. Several inmates of Dhahban Central recently completed calligraphy and drawing courses offered by the prison directorate as part of its rehabilitation program. It was a great chance for the inmates nurture their hidden talent. Several inmates showed exceptional skills and produced creative works that can even qualify them to pursue a career in the field on leaving the prison. Some of them excelled beyond all expectations. Saudi Gazette visited the inmates and listened to their experiences through the learning process. Abdulelah S. said he came to the prison with a five-year sentence for a cybercrime he was convicted of. He has already served two years. He enrolled in the drawing and calligraphy institute after going through a difficult period. This was after his wife demanded divorce saying she did not want to live with a convicted criminal. "I got really depressed. My suffering went on for a long time until my cell mates convinced me to sign up for the drawing course," he said. Shortly afterward, he discovered he had a real talent for drawing. In less than six months, he drew six paintings and all of them were sold. Fayez A. was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a drug crime. The first few years of his imprisonment were the most difficult for him. "I was held at the old prison in Briman. They had not transferred us to the new prison in Dhahban yet. Time was going really slowly. When we moved to the new prison, I signed up for the drawing course and drew 16 paintings," he said. Dhiya F. was imprisoned for forgery. He also signed up for the drawing course. His paintings reflect his prison experience and prison life in general. He can draw with pencil and coal, and is happy that he has discovered his drawing talent. Bandar L. was convicted of issuing bad checks and sentenced to six months in prison. He signed up for a calligraphy course in the prison because it used to be one of his hobbies. He had worked as a calligrapher for a long time before his imprisonment. He had done more than 30 calligraphy works, which were showcased at numerous exhibitions. Three of his works were sold. Hassan S. has a four-year sentence for his involvement in cybercrimes. He is grateful for the prison management for allowing inmates to sign up in calligraphy and drawing courses. "These courses alleviate our pain and loneliness to a great extent. I am happy to discover that I have a drawing talent. I have already sold four paintings from the 25 I have drawn," he said. Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Al-Hamzi, director general of prisons, and Brig. Gen. Ayoub Naheet, spokesman for the directorate general of prisons, facilitated the visit by Saudi Gazette to the Dhahban prison. The newspaper is grateful to the officials for granting the permission to interview the inmates and publish the report.
