Rate of re-offending convicted criminals decreasing

The rate of re-offending by convicted criminals in Fiji is now decreasing.

This was highlighted by the Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum at the opening of the 5th Pacific Islands Regional Women in Corrections Conference in Suva today.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the rate of re-offending in Fiji was quite high in the past.

Meanwhile the Fiji Corrections Services says they will discuss the challenges faced by the female corrections officers around the region, ways to move forward and how female corrections officers can initiate changes and become leaders in male dominated areas.

Public Relations Officer, Kuini Waqasavou says the major challenge faced by female corrections officers is to instill change in the female inmates so that they do not come back to the centres.

Waqasavou highlights that female corrections officers only used to look after the female inmates but since last year Fiji has broken that trend and the female officers now also look after the male inmates.

There are over 80 female corrections officers throughout Fiji.

More than 150 participants from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau and Samoa are taking part in the three day conference.