CABINET has approved the name change, from Guyana Prison Service to Guyana Prison and Correctional Service, a press statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) announced yesterday.

The ministry said it should be noted that the incarceration system in Guyana has undergone dramatic changes in keeping with new philosophies and management strategies in response to a changing social environment.
It added that, while the word prison conjures up images of a place of terror, harsh treatment and suffering, the term correctional conveys a positive message of change and purpose, which is central to the rehabilitative work currently undertaken by these custodial institutions.
The statement said, indeed, within recent years, there has been a departure from articulating a policy which promotes punishment and retribution as the only methods of dealing with prisoners to, gradually, emphasising the role that rehabilitation can have on prisoners in preparation for their reintegration into society to lead productive lives as law-abiding citizens.
The statement also noted that, consequently, there have been significant budgetary allocations for training and rehabilitation of prisoners which have been buttressed by the establishment of specific boards to provide oversight, including for training, sentence management and agriculture development.
The release said, too, that the GPS Strategic Plan 2010-2015 envisions this department as a “highly effective correctional institution with modern technological facilities and competent staff who empower and rehabilitate inmates through structured programmes, thereby contributing to reduced recidivism and increased public safety”.
As a first stage in this process, it should be accepted that the GPS is well positioned to be renamed the GPCS, retaining its role as a detention facility while acknowledging that persons incarcerated there are not simply “jail men/women” but individuals who must be given a genuine opportunity to reform, the ministry said.
It explained that the legislative provision will be undertaken to reflect the change from Guyana Prison Service to Guyana Prison and Correctional Service.
Accordingly, the ministry will seek to have the necessary bill prepared and brought before the National Assembly in order to fully implement Cabinet’s decision.