The Ministry of Interior (MoI) celebrated Mother’s Day and World Poetry Day at its various punitive and correctional establishments, as part of its initiative to educate inmates and care for them. The ministry has given 3,500 books to the establishments’ libraries, within the framework of the “2016 Year of Reading” initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.

The inmates of the punitive and correctional establishments took part in the purposeful play that was composed, played and produced by them. It is noteworthy that the play is part of the celebrations organized by the Punitive and Correctional Establishments Department, the Security Media Department and the Directorate General of Strategy and Performance Development, which also featured a book fair and various cultural and recreational competitions. In a parallel ceremony, the female inmates section presented cultural shows and attended a lecture on the righteousness of the parents. Moreover, a group of female inmates participated in preparing artistic greeting cards for their mothers, and watched a movie about the sacrifices of the mother, and her impact on the life of the family.

Colonel Ateeq Ibrahim Al Dhaheri, Deputy Director of the Punitive and Correctional Establishments Department commended the “Used books; Recycling for Education” initiative, which managed to collect 1,500 books in all realms of human knowledge. These books are to be added to the donation of His Highness the Minister of Interior, which included 2,000 books written by Emirati young people. This initiative aims to spread the benefits and increase knowledge amongst inmates, as well as encourage them to exploit their leisure time in a productive way.

Abdullah Shaheen, Media Expert at the MoI, underscored that the initiative is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, who accords great attention to knowledge and enlightenment. “His Highness encouraged reading as being an impervious bulwark against negative behavior and delinquency. It also enables inmates to invest their free time in purposeful and beneficial activities for them and for society as a whole,” said Shaheen.

Adding further, Shaheen noted that the Security Media Department has managed to collect 1,500 books through the dropboxes dedicated for used book donations in reception areas at its service departments. The MoI’s staff members and the public took part in this initiative through the donation of various kinds of books. “These books have been reclassified to supplement the libraries of the Punitive and Correctional Establishments Department, among others,” he indicated.

For her part, Major Ashayma' Taleb Hussein, Chief of the e-Club Section at the Directorate General of Strategy and Performance Development at Abu Dhabi Police pointed out that the initiative targets inmates, and that the campaign would be ongoing throughout the year. “A specialized committee has been formed to collect the donated books, sort them by theme, restore and bind them, to allow a significant number of people to peruse them and benefit from them,” said Major Hussein.

The ceremony was attended by Colonel Ali Ahmed Al Khayal, Chief of the Support Services Section at the Punitive and Correctional Establishments Department; First Lieutenant Nayef Ayed Al Otaibi, Manager of the Coordination, Reform and Rehabilitation Branch; and a number of officers, civilians and guests.

The Security Media Department at the Directorate General of Security Support at the General Secretariat of the Office of HH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior has launched this community-based initiative to promote reading among inmates, nursing homes and others. This initiative organized under the slogan “Used Books: Recycling for Education,” in collaboration with the Directorate General of Punitive and Correctional Establishments and the Strategy and Performance Development Department aims to collect used books from Abu Dhabi Police staff members and the public in all languages and human knowledge fields. It also aims to achieve the optimal benefit from books; not only as a collectible item, but as a tool for the ongoing benefit and exchange of knowledge. This approach stems from the firm belief in the importance of reading and education in correcting individual behavior and providing positive and constructive guidance, not to mention other environmental and community-based benefits.

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