THE Guyana Prison Service (GPS) Saturday hosted its annual retreat under the theme, “Moving from Retribution to Correction” at the Grand Coastal Hotel, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara. The main aim of the retreat was to analyse the overall functioning of the service, particularly as it relates to how effectively recommendations that were made at last year’s retreat were implemented.
In his opening remarks, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee called for workable solutions to issues, noting that there is need for prison officers to be re-oriented to embrace the new reform process that the GPS has embarked on.
He noted that the service has come a far way, moving towards becoming a full-fledged correctional service to the point where a name change to ‘Guyana Correctional Services’ may be appropriate.
The GPS is tasked with the responsibility of preparing prison inmates for re-integration into society. For this reason, government has adopted a policy of prisoners’ reform, which is done through the provision of training opportunities, so that inmates can acquire basic income generating skills and improve their literacy levels while serving their sentences.
The minister explained that it is not practical to just lock prisoners away, maltreat them by virtue of their status, and at the conclusion of their sentences, restore their freedom without having subjected them to any programme of rehabilitation or reform. Such an approach, he said, would not benefit the individual, the GPS, and certainly not the country.
To this end, government has been dedicating huge sums towards training programmes for prisoners. In 2009, the GPS received $14.4M for prisoners’ training and rehabilitation, 2010-$16M, 2011-$21M and 2012-$22.6M.
Resources have also been provided for recruitment of additional staff in custodial, correctional and other specialised areas.
The GPS is working in collaboration with the Sentence Management Board on a number of initiatives aimed at bringing about systemic changes and producing certain tangible benefits for prisoners.
Much effort has been made over the years to rehabilitate and maintain physical infrastructure in the service. A new dormitory at the Georgetown Prison is the most recent addition to the service’s existing structures and more advanced technologies have been adopted to improve efficiencies.
Former Director of Prisons, Cecil Kilkenny, is currently heading a project aimed at reviewing Prison Standing Orders. This initiative targets systems, policies and practices that form an important aspect of the overall reform process.
“We need to make adjustments, we need to reform…we need to adjust the way we think; we need to think corrections, training and rehabilitation,” the minister urged.
He expressed his ministry’s concern when negative reports are received such as high level of absenteeism, particularly among junior ranks who abuse the sick leave concession, pilfering of prisoners’ dietary supplies, officers trafficking of prohibited articles, such as cell phones, and inflation of accounts.
The minister re-affirmed that, “indiscipline and corrupt practices in the Guyana Prison Service will not be condoned, especially at this time, when we are seeking to bring about reform in this organisation.”
Meanwhile, Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine, said that the Prison Service welcomes the changes that will accrue from the reform process.
He also called on all stakeholders to work to the best of their abilities to improve the institution. (GINA)