Construction of the Central Prison Complex is scheduled to begin this month, Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusaan has said.
The project aims to centralise prison services by replacing the current system of prisons spread across different islands.
According to the minister, the existing prisons are not designed to effectively support rehabilitation and reform programmes. The new complex is intended to provide rehabilitation-focused services under one roof and improve prison management, he said.
The minister said some prisons are expected to be relocated to the new facility within the next two years. He said the government aims to ensure that Maldives Correctional Service is an exemplary entity that the nation is proud of.
The minister further revealed that the government plans to amend the law so that prisoners can reduce their sentence by one day for each day spent in rehabilitation programmes. The amendment is expected to be passed by Parliament and come into effect within the next three months.
The government will also develop Hope Island as a rehabilitation centre for juvenile offenders. Both the prison complex and the Hope Island project will be developed in Uthuru Thila Falhu.
About 30 hectares of land will be reclaimed for the prison complex. Planned facilities include a residential unit, drug rehabilitation facility, halfway house, education and training facility, a mosque with a capacity for 1,000 people, medical facility and other support services. The project is intended to address challenges currently faced in operating and providing services through separate prisons.