You'd think anyone serving time in prison would be eager to be set free ... but that doesn't seem to be the case for 11 women who were imprisoned in Dubai.
According to Khaleej Times, the inmates felt so at home in jail they didn't want to leave, even after they fully served their sentences.
The director of the Dubai Women's Jail, Colonel Jamila Khalifa Al Zaabi, said these women's feelings stemmed from the "good treatment and services" they were provided in prison.
In her statement on the matter, Al Zaabi explained the women felt that a facility meant for their punishment turned out to be a place where they got "care they wouldn't have experienced elsewhere."
A utopian jail experience?
The jail's director also said the women became part of the jail's structured program, which aims at rehabilitating inmates and making sure they "start new lives at the end of their sentence."
The prison's management ensures no inmate faces discrimination and work to provide the women with a "peaceful environment that is akin to a community."
All prisoners are provided with top medical care and receive prompt follow-ups on their health issues.They're also offered meals from one of the best food supplying companies in the UAE.
In her statement, Al Zaabi added that all prisoners "are able to stay in touch with their families, especially their children."
Inmates spoke of their great time in jail
In statements to press, some of the 11 inmates spoke of their positive jail experience and explained why they didn't want to leave after serving their sentences.
An Arab woman who served time there said "she enjoyed a safe life in prison, something she claimed she 'did not have in her home country.'" She also explained how she was encouraged to learn new skills and work on developing her hobbies, including painting.
Another prisoner said the Dubai-based women's jail was so much more than a punitive institution.
"It has a huge library, a recreational hall for sports, a drawing room, a large open area for various matches, and more. They are free to walk around the facility's buildings and rooms and make the most of its amenities," she explained.
