Acceptance is a significant challenge for former-inmates: Ravula

The prison gates may open, but for many former inmates, the real sentence begins the moment they step back into society.

Accepting prisoners back into their homes and communities is one of the most significant challenges faced by the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS).

This was revealed during the awareness outreach programme in Navave, Vuya, in Bua yesterday by FCS Institutional Rehabilitation Officer Esava Ravula.

Mr Ravula describes a reality often overlooked, one where freedom does not guarantee belonging.

“It’s a challenge to them,” Mr Ravula said.

“Some feel like they are not accepted by their own families or by the community because of the crimes they committed,” he said.

“For many inmates, the battle is not just external, it is deeply psychological.

“The fear of rejection, combined with broken relationships and long-standing disconnection, creates a barrier that rehabilitation programmes alone cannot break.

“Those are the things that prevent them from entering their community, going back to their family.”

Inside correctional facilities, efforts are being made to rebuild lives.

In response to the issue, FCS now focuses on behavioural change, emotional intelligence, and personal growth, equipping inmates with tools to reintegrate into society.

Assistant Superintendent of Corrections manager legal Samisoni Naba said transformation inside prison must be matched by acceptance outside.

“What we’re trying to do inside is to change them,” he said.

“Now, we are trying to change the public’s perspective, the community’s perspective, so when they come out, they are accepted.”

The challenge, he stresses, is no longer just about reforming offenders, it is about reforming attitudes.

“They have served their sentence. They’ve gone through rehabilitation. They want to change and the change is coming from them.”

Yet without community support, that change risks being undone.

As Fiji continues to strengthen its rehabilitation efforts, Mr Ravula added: “Reintegration is not a one-sided journey. It requires not only the willingness of former inmates to change, but the willingness of society to let them.”

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