Saudi- Tarahum secures release of youth imprisoned over traffic accident 

(MENAFN - Arab News) The committee that looks after the affairs of prisoners, ex-convicts and their families (Tarahum) has helped secure the release of a youth in Jeddah by paying the compensation for a car accident he had caused.

The Tarahum paid SR30,750, the estimated value of damages to the car, in court after the hapless mother of the youth appealed to the committee for help.

Chairman of Tarahum Abdullah bin Mahfouz said: "The priorities of the committee include rectifying situations that lead to prison punishments due to acts resulting from genuine errors."

"Another priority of the committee is to offer rehabilitation training to prisoners so that they can lead a dignified life after their prison time," he said.

This year so far Tarahum helped secure the release of a number of indebted prisoners by paying their dues. The committee also paid the rent for 28 prisoners' families this year.

The committee's services also provided job training to 830 women inmates and sent 256 boys and girls from convicts' families for computer training and to learn English, tailoring and dress designing, he said.

Training inmates for jobs is one of the national strategies adopted by the General Directorate of Prisons, according to a previous statement by Director General of Prisons Lt. Gen. Ali Al-Harithy.

"Steps are being taken to set up many factories with the aim of employing inmates," Al-Harithy said at the time.

The directorate has signed an agreement with the Industrial Cities Commission to establish an industrial city of 100 factories in the Al-Hayer Reformatory in Riyadh where only inmates would work. The experiment would be extended to other provinces in the Kingdom. He said the move was a first in the world for the welfare of prisoners.