Gulf News visits the Dubai Women's Central Jail in Al Aweer to see how inmates are being rehabilitated. See more at: See more at www.gulfnews.com/videos
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00:00Filthy, crowded, dark, dangerous.
00:07These are some of the images that come to mind when talking about prison cells.
00:12But when Gulf News visited a prison facility for women in Dubai, most of the negative impressions
00:18we had about the prison cell were shattered.
00:21Through the lens of GNTV, we give you an exclusive tour to show the true state of the women's
00:26central jail in Dubai.
00:29Upon entering the facility, which is located in Al-Aweer, we discovered a spacious courtyard,
00:35playground, well-lit rooms, training and workshop facilities, a clinic with a full-time doctor
00:42and even a supermarket among other amenities.
00:45What we saw was a community of people trying to make a positive change in their lives.
00:53Built in an area almost a million square meters in size, the Dubai Central Jail embraces the
00:58concept of open jail.
01:01No steel bars, spacious rooms, wall-to-wall glass windows and plenty of spaces.
01:07The prison facility for women accommodates more than 400 female inmates.
01:12In the past years, thousands of women of different nationalities have come and left the facility
01:19reformed and with new skills that will help them start a new life.
01:24The 38 children aged 3 to 8 also live in the facility with their mothers.
01:29The children are allowed to live with their mothers in the community-like facility as
01:33they have no relatives to take care of them outside.
01:39The open jail concept also means that the prison cells are not locked, allowing all
01:44prisoners to interact with others.
01:47The inmates can also talk with jail officers freely and openly about their problems, needs
01:53and how they feel.
01:54The jail officers are trained extensively and have been carefully selected for the job.
01:59They are both firm and compassionate when dealing with the inmates.
02:04The Women's Central Jail is a testament that life really does not end inside the prison.
02:09People commit mistakes and prison facilities are there to help them become reformed individuals.
02:15Irish Eden Balieza, Gulf News.