(MENAFN- Jordan Times) JERASH — Handicrafts made by prisoners are being exhibited at the Jerash Festival 2017, as part of a project to reintegrate the prisoners into their community.
Organised by the Department of Correctional and Rehabilitation Centres, the project aims to improve the lives of the prisoners and help them feel that they belongs to society, organisers said.
The exhibition in Jerash, 48km north of Amman, includes handicrafts, embroidery, heritage-inspired dresses and traditional carvings, produced by both male and female inmates of the Kingdom's correctional and rehabilitation centres.
The participation of the centres at this year's Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts, through the establishment of a bazaar for art and craft in the Colonnaded Street of the ancient city of Jerash, is part of the Public Security Directorate's (PSD) strategy to provide support to prisoners, the organisers said.
The department trains the prisoners in a variety of trades and professions, in order to support them through educational, training and technical programmes, in cooperation with experts and trainers from the PSD and the vocational training centres.
After completing their training and mastering a profession, prisoners are given certificates stamped by the Vocational Training Corporation, though without mentioning the fact that they were prisoners.
The certificates enable them to earn an income after serving their terms, with the aim of helping them avoid falling into the 'mistakes of the past', according to the organisers.
The handicrafts are sold at promotional prices and the profits given to the prisoners, who are also subscribed to the social security corporation, to encourage them to work and cover additional expenses during their prison sentences.
The Jerash festival is held in the ancient Greco-Roman town of Jerash, 48km north of Amman.
One of the leading cultural events in the region, the Jerash festival was first held in 1981, established by Her Majesty Queen Noor under the coordination of Yarmouk University.
The festival was cancelled three times, in 1982, 2006 and in 2008, for three consecutive years. In 2011, the government revived the festival.
Last year, the festival attracted over 100,000 visitors, according to organisers.
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