Sharjah: Like true crime stories? You may want to bury your nose in a new book stuffed full of real-crime literary drama as told by actual inmates incarcerated in Sharjah prison facilities for various deeds.
The new release, titled ‘Moral of My Story ... Light on the Path to Hope’, is the brainchild of Sharjah Punitive and Rehabilitation Establishments that has published the edition which is believed to be a first of its kind in the region, officials said.
The idea of a true crime book came to light during the fourth GCC unified Inmates Week held in December 2016.
Colonel Ahmad Suhail, director-general of Sharjah Punitive and Rehabilitation Establishments, told Gulf News in an exclusive interview that the book has given inmates a positive push, bringing them together in a collective experience of harmony and hope.
Prisoners are keen to tell their stories and explain the choices they made that led them to their life behind bars.
Hope and redemption are common threads in the stories, he said, by inmates from different nationalities and aged between 20 and 45.
English and Urdu versions of the book were part of a police initiative to turn inmates’ crimes into stories that will teach readers a lesson to avoid the same dead-end road.
The book is 366 pages and roughly 2,600 copies have been distributed for free among community members.
Visitors to the 36th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair late last year received copies as did people visiting police and other government departments.
The book will be available for public in the libraries as well and plans are afoot to upload them online.
About the book
The book features 36 true heartbreaking stories, with inmates reflecting on their crimes, their experiences of violence, their relationships with other partners and their desire for change.
The goal is to help community members to avoid bad choices and bad influences that could put them behind bars for life.
Inmates write that they hope to continue on a journey and make better choices.
