DAMMAM – Plans are underway to build more luxurious wings and rooms in the Kingdom's prisons for women prisoners who behave well, said the General Directorate of Prisons. Directorate spokesman Maj. Abdullah Al-Harbi said the new facilities will first be built in Jeddah because it houses the highest number of female inmates, followed by Riyadh and Dammam, which has the second and third highest number of prisoners respectively. He said the directorate a long time ago had started categorizing inmates according to their offenses. Special non-smoking wings were created for men 30 years ago when the Minister of Interior ordered the separation of smokers from non–smokers. He said there are 23 hotel-style wings and 77 rooms spread across the Kingdom's prisons. Over 3,425 prisoners in the Kingdom benefit from the facilities. He said the first such wing was built at Al-Malaz Prison in Riyadh 16 years ago. He said the criteria set for the transfer of inmates to these wings include performance of the five daily prayers in congregation and on time, attendance of enlightenment programs and activities and leaving the wing only with the permission of the wing's head. The wings are equipped with telephone booths while inmates get financial incentives, preferential treatment with regard to certain services and they are visited by their families, he said. The wings encourage prisoners in other dormitories to show discipline, he said, adding that they also help inmates to be rehabilitated socially and psychologically. – SG
