TWENTY-TWO prisoners at the New Amsterdam, Berbice, penitentiary, received certificates on Tuesday after successfully completing a three-month literacy and numeracy programme. At the graduation ceremony, Literacy Officer Orlando Jaundoo reported that the fast track Ministry of Education literacy course commenced last September 6, with 31 inmates in attendance. However, during the sessions, which included teaching of basic reading, writing, mathematical signs, filling forms and letter writing, ten participants dropped out.
The graduates, four women among them, were selected on the basis of their displayed character and having less than three years of their sentence still to be served, he said.
Regional Literacy Officer Enid Etwaru, in her remarks, urged the graduating group to cherish the skills and values learnt, while adhering to the rules and regulations during confinement.
Newly-appointed Officer-in-Charge of the Berbice jail, Superintendent Alston Scott, informed the gathering that Government is expending huge sums of money to reform prisoners and make them assets to the society.
He challenged those who were trained to show that learning was, indeed, imparted to them, by displaying behavioural change.
“No longer must you be seen liming idly. You can now read. Use the library to expand your knowledge,” he encouraged them.
Scott expressed gratitude to the Directorate and staff of the Guyana Prison Service and the Ministry of Home Affairs for making the programme possible.
The two-hour function, which was chaired by prisoner Michele Fraser, was punctuated with skits and songs reflective of the festive season.