Kuwait to open ‘family house’ for prisoners
Project aims to expand initiative that allows married prisoners to meet with families
Dubai: The Ministry of Interior in Kuwait will soon open a new facility within the country’s main prison complex, offering inmates private family visits.
Dubbed the “Family House,” the project aims to expand upon a similar initiative that allows married prisoners to meet with their families, creating a more inclusive space for a larger number of inmates to connect with loved ones.
Brigadier General Fahad Al Obeid, Acting Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Correctional Institutions and Enforcement of Sentences, said that the facility has been prepared within the prison complex in the Sulaibiya area of Jahra governorate.
Though no official opening date has been announced, the initiative has been in development for several years, with local media often referring to it as a hotel for inmates and their families.
The Family House will enable prisoners to spend time with their spouses, children, parents, and siblings in specially designed housing units inside the prison complex. The administration will determine which prisoners are eligible for these private family visits, as well as the duration of each visit.
While it is yet to be clarified whether all prisoners, including those convicted of serious crimes like murder or drug offenses, will have access to the facility, the initiative has garnered both praise and criticism.
Supporters, including local charities and bloggers, highlight the project’s ability to provide a family-oriented environment for inmates and their relatives. Critics, however, question its broader implementation, though the concept has already seen success in Kuwait and is practiced in several other countries.
Currently, the Prisons Department in Kuwait grants well-behaved inmates the opportunity for close family visits in a smaller version of the Family House, with plans to extend the programme to include more prisoners.
Kuwait’s prison complex houses approximately 5,000 inmates of various nationalities across different sections, including a women’s prison and facilities for residents awaiting deportation.