Dubai: The Dubai Police, represented by the General Department of Punitive and Correctional Institutions, engaged 1228 inmates in educational, religious, sports, and professional programmes in 2021.

H.E Major General Ali Al Shamali, Director of the General Department of Punitive and Correctional Institutions at Dubai Police, said that Inmates Educational and Training Programmes Department at Dubai Police's Punitive and Correctional Establishments carried out a bunch of Programmes intending to develop and rehabilitate inmates' skills and capabilities and strengthening their religious faith. "The programs also tackle various psychological and emotional problems and help remove the barriers of fear and hesitation that may haunt the inmates after their release. They also aim to make it easier for the inmates to reintegrate back into mainstream society", Al Shamali added. 

He explained that the Inmates Educational and Training Programmes Department comprises four sections: Educational Programmes Section, Religious Programmes Section, Sports Programmes Section and Professional Training Section. 

Educational Programmes Section
The Section assists inmates to complete their education at different academic levels, in cooperation with the Dubai Educational Zone and local and international colleges and provides their library with the latest publications of all needed books. The Educational Programmes Section also offers several courses and programmes for inmates including, community-based initiatives industry courses, Graphic Design, Filmmaking, English language, Chinese language, Anger Management, Challenges and Path to success, and creativeness course, etc.

Maj. Gen. Al Shamali pointed out that 170 inmates benefitted from scientific courses last year, while the 191 inmates benefited from educational courses reached in 2020.

Religious Programmes Section
The Section raises religious awareness through lectures, courses and workshops. It also encourages inmates to learn and recite the Holy Quran.

The inmates who benefited from the Holy Quran Memorization program reached 275 beneficiaries in 2021, while 333 beneficiaries in 2020.

Sports Programmes Section 
Raising inmates' fitness and maintaining their mental and physical health care is in the top list of the General Department of Punitive and Correctional Institutions priorities. By implementing sports programmes for inmates, Dubai Police aims to encourage this segment of society to adopt a healthier lifestyle and consolidate the values of tolerance, coexistence, and dialogue among members of society. 

The Section organises tournaments and sports programmes all year round. While only ninety-four inmates in 2020 were engaged in the sports competitions, as many as seven hundred and twenty-seven benefited in 2021 from the continuous initiatives carried out by the Department and its partners. 

The initiatives were designed to enhance the fitness levels of inmates with football, handball, and volleyball tournaments, in addition to courses in martial arts, including jiu-jitsu, boxing and karate.  

It is worth noting that the inmates completed the 50-million-step challenge as part of a 22-day fitness challenge launched by Dubai Police.         

Professional Training Section 
Dubai Police pays special attention to the professional training of the inmate. The Section was established to introduce inmates to new skills, hone their existing ones, and qualify them for professional career paths by providing them with job opportunities per the market's demands. 

Compared to eighty-three in 2020, two hundred and twenty-six inmates benefited from numerous training courses and workshops in 2021. The General Department of Punitive and Correctional Institutions makes sure that the inmates are introduced to a wide variety of professional fields, including 3D animation, organic agriculture, newspaper comics, motor mechanics, graphic design, garden and landscape design, laser cutting and engraving techniques, and masks manufacturing…etc.