SEX offenders will be held in isolation at Naboro Maximum Prison as part of the Fiji Corrections Service’s rehabilitation plan.
FCS Commissioner Francis Kean said the first step for treatment required ownership of the crime and providing the right environment for self-realisation.
This first step cannot happen in an open environment, he said.
“The environment for self-realisation or self-reflection is in a semi-closed environment that is conducive for producing a positive outcome and taking ownership of crimes committed on the part of the offender,” he said.
“Once an inmate takes ownership of the crime he commits, readiness for change automatically comes in.
“The change is not only for his behaviour, it is a life changing outcome. Then he will also take ownership of his treatment and development.”
Mr Kean said the geographical structure of Naboro was already therapeutic in nature and would assist in the gradual exposure for adjustments to the environment — which included eventual socialisation with other inmates and officers.
He said once self-realisation occurred, the treatment is done, the shift would then focus on rehabilitation and upskilling.
“Phase 3 — upskilling and vocational training is crucial for inmates to reactivate known skills and learn new ones.
“Farming is a number one up-skilling program of primary (consumption) and secondary value (commercial).”
Mr Kean said the Naboro prison had “under-utilised space” and could serve as a deterrent as well.
“There isn’t much deterrent measures available to the courts and FCS, apart from the sentences dished out, and the attempts by FCS to deter would-be offenders would be to segregate them at a fully closed correction centre.
“Social isolation is contextualised to meet the outcome of our treatment. It is not about marginalisation or discrimination. It’s about therapeutic isolation for changes to happen.
“In behaviour change the three main things that influence the change are individual, community and the environment.
“These three domains need to be considered in order to affect changes to the lives of the inmates.
“During the period of treatment, progress monitoring comes in from the psychologist and counsellors, the officers, pastors, including assessments and providing clinical supervision, crisis intervention, ongoing treatment, case management and release-planning services.
“Inmates are classified according to the crimes they commit and different programs are offered to different clients.”
Mr Kean said treatment programs encouraged inmates to reflect on their spiritual life, and with the help of stakeholders — through the Yellow Ribbon Project — the ultimate goal of rehabilitation was to reduce recidivism and transform offenders into productive members of the society.
