A 'Culture Street' has been opened within the Juvenile Closed Penal Institution located on the Kavak Prison Facility.

The project, aimed at rehabilitating and improving the well-being of incarcerated youth through art, transformed a corridor filled with various workshops, such as handicrafts and painting, into a vibrant space. This was accomplished by collaborating with painting students from Ondokuz Mayıs University's (OMU) Visual Arts Community and the incarcerated youth.

The walls, adorned with portraits of artists such as Sabahattin Ali, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, and Neşet Ertaş, received much admiration. The opening ceremony of the section named 'Culture Street' was held with great enthusiasm.

Samsun Chief Public Prosecutor Mehmet Sabri Kılıç, OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal, Kavak District Governor Erdem Karanfil, Samsun Regional Director of Foundations Ali Erkan Öztürk, and OMU faculty members attended the opening ceremony.

"We must rehabilitate them and reintegrate them into society"

Samsun Chief Public Prosecutor Mehmet Sabri Kılıç said at the opening, "We inaugurated the 'Culture Street' prepared by our professors and youth. We receive tremendous support from the esteemed professors of Ondokuz Mayıs University in educating and rehabilitating our youth. According to the protocol we signed with Professor Yavuz, OMU’s faculty members support our teachers and educators here. Whether they have committed a crime or been led to crime, these youth are still our children. We must rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society before sending them back. This place is more than a prison; it is an educational hub. We aim to rehabilitate, educate, and reintegrate our youth into society so they can return home."

"Rehabilitating and reintegrating into society is crucial"

OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal added, "Our Chief Prosecutor is a great asset for Samsun. He has made serious efforts to bring justice closer to the community and to maintain open communication channels. I am very pleased to see OMU implementing such a social responsibility program and to be part of the award ceremony. Whether they have been involved in crime is not the main question, but if this institution prioritizes rehabilitating and reintegrating them into society, the crime rates will decline. If they simply serve their time without rehabilitation or education, they will continue to pose a risk to society."

During the opening, in accordance with the will of the Niksar Hacı Mehmed (Ahi Pehlivan) Foundation, the Samsun Regional Directorate of Foundations provided sweets and beverages to the incarcerated youth at the Kavak Juvenile Closed Penal Institution.

Numerous activities conducted as part of the project

As part of the project implemented by Ondokuz Mayıs University, several activities were conducted, including a tournament with eight teams of previously delinquent youth, a rock concert to instill a love for music among the youth, and various events to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the passing of Rumi, a symbol of love, peace, brotherhood, and tolerance.