A meeting dedicated to strengthening family values was held at the UIS institution in the Abai region

           

Within the framework of mutual cooperation on the basis of a memorandum, specialists of the family support center visited the Russian State Institution "Institution No. 19" in the maximum security institution of the Penitentiary in the Abai region and held a meeting with convicts on the topic "Family values" for information and explanatory work.

          During the meeting, experts discussed with participants in temporary isolation the importance of family in human life, issues of mutual respect, responsibility and trust, as well as the importance of maintaining contact with loved ones. The event was attended by convicts aged 23 to 70 years old, serving sentences for crimes of varying severity — theft, robbery, causing serious harm to health, with terms of imprisonment from one year to twenty years. For many of them, family remains the main support and incentive for improvement: their spouses and children are waiting for them at home. At the same time, there are those who ended up in prison without having had time to create their own family. During the training, the convicts openly shared their inner feelings, fears, and doubts about whether they would be able to restore lost ties, maintain trust, and return to the relationships they had before their conviction.

           — Five years ago, my life stopped. I ended up here, and my wife stayed at home with two small children — they were only five and seven years old at the time. The most painful thing is that I didn't see them go to first grade, didn't hold their hand, didn't do their homework with them, and didn't hear them laugh every day. I still blame myself for that. Now I work in the workshop at the institution, I send part of my earnings to my family and try to support my wife at least with words. I'm running out of time in four years. I will be greeted not by two little girls, but by grown girls. We will get to know each other again. And I know for sure that I will never betray my family again and will do everything to preserve our family values," the convict shared.

           — Such meetings play an important role in the process of re-socialization. Talking about family helps convicts realize their personal responsibility for their actions and see the meaning in changing their lifestyle. When a person retains an emotional connection with their loved ones, they gain inner support and motivation to behave law—abiding after their release," said a psychologist at the institution, Ainel Bolat.

       In addition, the participants were given practical recommendations on strengthening family relationships, restoring communication with loved ones, preventing conflicts and shaping a positive life trajectory for the future. The main purpose of the event is to strengthen moral values, increase the importance of the institution of the family and support the process of social adaptation of convicts.