Dubai Launches Region's First Football League for Inmates of Penal and Correctional Institutions

The Dubai Sports Council (DSC) and Dubai Police announced the launch of the General League for Inmates, the first of its kind in the region dedicated to inmates in penal and correctional institutions, which will be held from February 7 to May 31. 14 football team will be competing according to the six-six league system. The initative aims to enhance physical exercise inside penal institutions and detention centres.

This came during the press conference held at the headquarters of the Dubai Sports Council, in which Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary-General of the Dubai Sports Council, Brigadier Marwan Julfar, Director of the General Department of Punitive and Correctional Establishments at Dubai Police, and Salem Al Karbi, Chairman of the event organising committee, spoke in the presence of Brigadier Salah Juma Nasser Bu Osaiba. Acting Deputy Director of the General Administration of Punitive and Correctional Establishments.

Nasser Aman Al Rahma said:

“We are pleased to announce today the launch of the General Football League for Inmates, which represents a pioneering community initiative.”

We offer it in cooperation with Dubai Police, with whom we have a strong relationship and complete strategic cooperation with Dubai Police to enhance the status of sport in society due to its many benefits in terms of the health, vitality, and happiness of community members, as well as its contribution to rapprochement and acquaintance between the various components of society. The Dubai Sports Council is also keen to cooperate with the private sector and providing means of success for various competitive and community sporting events that are organized throughout the year.”

He added:

“Inmates of penal and correctional Establishments of all nationalities are part of society. Sports can contribute to supporting their rehabilitation and their return to society while they are healthy and happy and are useful individuals to their society. The past years have witnessed joint work between the DSC and Dubai Police in this field, where Equipping penal and correctional Establishments with sports equipment and equipment and planning areas for practicing sports due to the importance of sport in developing the health and happiness of inmates. We also worked to qualify trainers from within penal and correctional institutions to train inmates through the “Sports Inmates Program” launched by the Dubai Sports Council in cooperation with Dubai Police since 2017".

Al Rahma concluded:

“This initiative comes after the success witnessed by the (Sports Inmates Program), which achieved many gains, most notably the qualification of 1,800 inmates, both male and female, in specialized courses, and the qualification of more than 100 inmates, both male and female, in specialized and accredited courses that qualified them to work in the sports sector in their country. Also, 20% of the inmates practiced in their country the sports professions in which they were trained, 23 rehabilitation courses were organized between training and arbitration, and penal institutions witnessed a 15% decrease in the percentage of inmates’ visits to the clinic.”

Brigadier Marwan Julfar confirmed that penal institutions, under the directives of Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, and the follow-up of his Assistant for Criminal Investigation Affairs, are keen to create a healthy climate environment for inmates, such as professional and craft work, training courses and educational programs, in addition to activities and programs. Sports, which are no less important than other aspects, given their significant positive impact on the psychological, health and social behavior of the inmate, and their effective contribution to reducing aggressive or violent behavior.

For his part, Salem Al Karbi thanked the Dubai Police and the Dubai Sports Council, and said:

“This event is the first regular league in the region for inmates and is held over the course of a full season, like the general football league. The tournament will be held in Al Awir Prison, and the arbitration process will be managed in accordance with the Rules of the UAE Football Federation”.

News Source: Emirates News Agency