TAIF: A new law proposing alternative penalties for certain offenses will only be approved after clearance by the Ministry of Interior and finally King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, said Major General Ali Bin Hussein Al-Harithy, Director General of Prisons in the Kingdom. Al-Harithy was speaking at the Taif Literary Club Tuesday about plans to streamline differences in verdicts by judges. The law will stipulate minimum and maximum sentences for crimes of the same degree; and also maintain the rights of defendants and plaintiffs. He said the alternative penalties include a travel and driving ban and stripping the man of the right to be a guardian. Other penalties include the offender being involved in civil defense and scout activities, guard duties at night, and teaching literacy classes. There will also be other restraints, including restricted movement, being monitored and followed by e-cameras or tracking bracelets. Al-Harithy rejected arguments for the scrapping, as a penalty, of the memorization of a part or the entire Holy Qur'an. He said this penalty serves as an incentive for inmates to memorize the Book of Allah to have their jail time shortened. “The Holy Qur'an disciplines inmates as 400 of them have memorized entire chapters of the Holy Qur'an,” he said. The memorization of the Holy Qur'an is meant to have inmates attached to the word of Allah to enlighten their souls and refine their manners, he added. He said alternative penalties will also ensure that people are not stigmatized for being former convicts. He said the new law also stipulates penalties including house arrest and training camps, aimed at teenagers below 18 years of age. He said the 15-article law was drafted over the past two years by judges, security experts, specialists from the Investigation and Prosecution Bureau and the Experts Committee at the Council of Ministers. He said enforcement measures will be outlined at a workshop to be held by representatives from the Ministry of Justice and executive authorities. He said the law conforms with human rights principles and ensures the penalty fits the crime. He added that there must be a specialized center to supervise the execution of these penalties. He said the Prisons Administration has already discussed the alternative penalties with legal bodies in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the Arab Interior Ministers Council.
