TEHRAN -- Thousands of 
inmates in Iranian prisons have memorized the entire or parts of the Holy Qur’an during imprisonment, head of Iran’s Prisons’ Organization said Wednesday.
Qur’anic programs are at the “forefront” of initiatives that aim to decrease the number of repeat offenders, Gholamali Mohammadi told IQNA.  
The Qur’an is the book of life and guidance, he said, adding that 518 Dar al-Qur’an centers have been established in prisons across the country to bring the Quran into prisons.
Many inmates, previously unfamiliar with the Qur’an, have discovered its teachings while in prison, he said, adding that the Qur’anic curriculum covers lessons in recitation, memorization, and interpretation.
Thanks to these programs, a significant number of inmates have achieved remarkable milestones in Qur’anic memorization, Muhammadi said.
He said 1,517 have memorized selected verses, 2,362 have memorized selected surahs, 482 have memorized three juzes, 252 have memorized five juzes, 147 have memorized 10 juzes, 75 have memorized 15 juzes, 67 have memorized 20 juzes, and 72 have committed the entire Quran to their memories.
Some inmates have even avoided capital punishment by qualifying for amnesty through their dedication to the Qur’an, he said.
To date, five Qur’anic competitions have been organized in prisons, provincially, and regionally, he noted.