Welcome To Help UAE Prisoners Blog

Help UAE Prisoners is a blog that seeks to help prisoners who are in different jails across the UAE. Many of these prisoners are victims of the recent economic crisis and the resultant problems. People lost their jobs and incomes and could not meet their various financial obligations and they ended up in jail. Others committed different kinds of crimes. Regardless of what led them to prison, they are still human beings and they need at least minimal support. Some have family, relatives or friends to visit them and they need someone to talk to. Some have family and relatives in distant lands but cannot get calling cards; they need calling cards to keep in touch with their families and acquaintances. Some have no money to buy even the basic supplies like personal hygiene stuff; they need help to get basic supplies. Others need representation to appeal their cases; they need people who know their way around UA legal system to plead their cases. And others have served their time in full but continue to be in jail for days, weeks, months and even years for lack of deportation tickets home, they need help to get one-way tickets home so that they can be released from jail.
So we are looking for people who can volunteer their week-end times, especially on Saturdays, to visit and chat with the lonesome prisoners. We need people who can donate pre-paid calling cards (jail cards) to enable prisoners to communicate with their loved ones. The jail calling cards are only AED 20 and can be purchased at most convenient stores around the country. We need companies like airlines, travel agents and others who can donate full or discounted one-way airline tickets for prisoners who finish their sentences to be able to go home. We also need people who can donate money to buy these tickets as well as buying prisoners supplies. We also need lawyers, advocates and other legal experts who can donate their time and expertise to represent these prisoners on a pro-bono basis.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Volcanic eruption delays a prisoner's journey home


An Indonesian prisoner, SM, who finished her sentence few months ago was thrilled to finally have a ticket to go home. She had overstayed her jail sentence because the correctional facility could not allow her to be released without a confirmed ticket home.
Finally last week a donor offered a one-way ticket from Dubai to Jakarta, Indonesia on Singapore Airlines and she was supposed to leave on Sunday. Unfortunately for her, upon arriving at Dubai Airport she was informed that Singapore Airlines has suspended all flights to Indonesia due to the risks posed by Volcanic ash after the volcanic eruption there this week-end.
SM was taken back to prison where she will wait for the volcanic ash situation to calm so that she can travel home and be free at last.
The suspension of flights to Indonesia is a good and necessary safety measure for the airline in order to protect the airline's passenger and assets. Even though she understands that, it has been a struggle for her because just when she was getting a breakthrough and saw an open door, then another door closes right in front of her.
But all things work together for good and at the right time, with her ticket in hand, she will be able to travel, safely, to her home country of Indonesia to re-join her family and re-start her life there.
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