In 2009, the Directorate of Prisons carried out a study to examine the possibility of granting prisoners the opportunity to perform Haj particularly those sentenced to long jail sentences.
The study reviewed obstacles in the way of prisoners’ Haj including the period needed to perform the rites, which usually takes seven to 10 days.
The directorate said the current pilgrimage programs for prisoners are carried out in accordance with a judicial order issued for some prisoners.
Previously, prisoners were prevented from performing Umrah, especially during Ramadan, due to “fears about potential escape and inability to control prisoners.” The directorate has since launched new religious programs that focus on promoting awareness, repentance and self-accountability among prisoners.
Maj. Abdullah Al-Harbi, spokesman of the directorate, said that prisoners referred to them for committing crimes during Haj are well taken care of and given the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage.
No official statistics about the number of prisoners who performed Haj in previous years have been released.
