Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla has said that the deteriorated conditions in the country’s prison facilities must be fixed.

Speaking on Television Maldives on Saturday night, Minister Imran said that the current conditions in jails are “so bad” that those who complete their sentence and return to society will still need rehabilitation.

He stressed that prisons must be a place that reforms prisoners and releases them into society as rehabilitated individuals.

Sharing his own experience behind bars after being convicted in 2015 over terror charges, Imran said that the most ordinary individual stepping foot inside a prison facility might have to step out as a drug addict.

Stressing the poor prison conditions, Minister Imran assured the people that he will solve the maintenance and procedural problems of prisons during his term as Minister.

Highlighting that a huge effort will be needed to turn things around in prison facilities, Imran said that he will put in his best efforts to try and make those released into reformed individuals who will be accepted by the community, with the guidance of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Minister Imran further said that prison conditions can only be reformed with legal amendments changes to training programmes for prison officials.

Having inspected some prison facilities in the preious week, Imran said that a system needs to be established to make convicts better people when they re-enter society.