Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia's Attorney General Saud Al-Moajab has said he has held discussions with the concerned authorities including the director general of prisons and officials in the Justice Ministry on the implementation of alternative punishments in the Kingdom and hoped that the decision would soon see the light. Moajab visited a number of prisons in Makkah province including Briman prison in Jeddah and said the prisons and reformatories in the Kingdom had become centers for rehabilitation rather than places for disciplinary action. He admired the services being provided to the inmates and said the rehabilitation and reform programs produced good results. The attorney general particularly admired the visitation homes that have been constructed inside the prisons for the inmates could enjoy private time with visiting family members including spouses. "The inmates lead a very calm life in the Kingdom's prisons and would come out as good and productive citizens qualified to carry out various jobs when they complete their sentences," he said. Moajab said, under the instructions of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, he would visit all the prisons in the Kingdom in the coming days. Director General of Prisons Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Asmari said last month that they were very close to applying alternative punishments on prisoners who are jailed for minor offenses and introducing technology to monitor them day and night. Informed sources said people who were handed down alternative punishments would be made to wear electronic bracelets so that prison authorities could follow up their movements and quickly find out their whereabouts in a matter of minutes if essential.
