-says Minister Benn

MINISTER of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, on Friday said that inmates deserve equal opportunities and facilities to ensure their rehabilitation and proper reintegration into society.

He made this remark while delivering his feature address at the Guyana Prison Service’s 39th Thanksgiving Anniversary Church Service held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC).

This year’s anniversary is being held under the theme, ‘Working towards improving the image of the Guyana Prison Service.’ As part of the celebration, there is an exhibition at the NCC which ends on Sunday.

According to a release from the GPS, Minister Benn noted that every inmate in the custody of correctional services should be offered the opportunity to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.

“We must make provision where those who are in prison must have hope beyond the walls and when leaving the prison. They must be successfully reintegrated into society,” the Home Affairs Minister said.

He added that the prison system and society must view inmates as people who could have the ability to better themselves and become productive citizens.

As such, he urged the GPS to place greater effort on the rehabilitation of inmates, and not just keeping them locked away.

The release said that the Home Affairs Minister was adamant that the culture of reform must be revised to move away from traditional and conventional methods and towards more rehabilitative methods, so that inmates are reintegrated and can contribute to society in a meaningful way.

Minister Benn commended the GPS’ staff for their work and for leading a continued administration of cognitive, technical and vocational rehabilitative programmes, aimed at equipping and preparing offenders for reintegration into society.

He further pledged that the Ministry of Home Affairs will continue to support the prison programmes which contribute to inmates’ personal growth and development.

Also sharing brief remarks was Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot, who said that the Prison Service continues to make efforts to consolidate its institutional capacity in order to effectively deliver better quality of service to prisoners, staff, and the public.

Elliot added that the service utilises its “Strategic Development Plan” which continues to provide the framework the organisation uses to reposition itself from the penal system to that of a correctional facility.

The Prisons Director highlighted that the administration of the GPS is cognisant that the staff plays an important role in the execution of the organisation’s mandate.

He added that emphasis has also been placed on ensuring that the prison administration is steadfast in the fulfilment of its mandate, relative to the safe custody and the rehabilitation of inmates, as well as the development of the institution.

“As a consequence, greater emphasis has been placed on enhancing the capacity of the staff. The directorate is particularly enthusiastic about the numerous training opportunities which were provided to 320 staff in the area of Prison Management, Human Rights, Management and Leadership,” he was quoted as saying.

The Prison Head also highlighted the significant infrastructural upgrades that were done to enhance the prison system, the release added.