Maldives to Launch Central Prison Complex Focusing on Inmate Rehabilitation and Reform

The Maldives will begin construction of a centralized prison complex this month, marking a significant shift toward a rehabilitation-led correctional system. Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusaan announced that the project aims to replace the current fragmented network of prisons scattered across various islands. According to Minister Ihusaan, the existing facilities lack the infrastructure necessary to effectively implement reform and rehabilitation programs. By consolidating services under one roof, the government intends to streamline prison management and provide inmates with comprehensive support services designed to reduce recidivism. As part of this systemic overhaul, the government is preparing a legal amendment to incentivize rehabilitation. The proposed law, expected to pass through the Majlis (Maldivian Parliament) within three months, would allow prisoners to reduce their sentences by one day for every day spent participating in approved rehabilitation programs. The new complex will be developed in Uthuru Thila Falhu, involving the reclamation of approximately 30 hectares of land. The facility is designed to be a multifaceted campus, featuring residential units, a dedicated drug rehabilitation center, a halfway house, and an education and training facility. It will also include a medical center and a mosque capable of accommodating 1,000 people. In a parallel effort to support youth, the government will develop Hope Island, also located in Uthuru Thila Falhu, as a specialized rehabilitation center for juvenile offenders. This dual-pronged approach aims to transform the Maldives Correctional Service into an exemplary institution. The relocation of several existing prisons to the new centralized facility is expected to take place over the next two years. This transition is intended to solve the logistical and operational challenges inherent in managing separate, isolated prison facilities across the archipelago.