Apenisa Waqairadovu 
The Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) has welcomed Cabinet’s decision to review the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Irrelevant Convictions) Act 1997 (Part 2).
The proposed review is aimed at enabling the removal of criminal records for individuals convicted of minor offences more than 10 years ago, provided they have been successfully rehabilitated.
The initiative is expected to improve employment prospects and ease visa application processes for affected individuals.
FCS Staff Officer and Assistant Superintendent of Corrections, Isireli Dausiga, revealed that just two weeks ago, two former inmates were terminated from their workplaces over minor issues.
He says both individuals had been living in the community for over a decade and claimed their dismissals were unfair, based solely on their status as former inmates.
Dausiga is calling on society to play a role in helping rehabilitated individuals reintegrate into the community and rebuild their lives.
He urged an end to the stigma surrounding former offenders, emphasising that everyone deserves a second chance.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
