BASED on a mutually agreed-upon partnership between the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) and the University of Guyana (UG) Department of Sociology, eight final-year Social Work diploma students will complete their practical assessment at the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) attached to Georgetown, Timehri, and Lusignan Prisons.

The students are required to complete 200 hours of attachment to graduate.

Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot, said the assessment would enable interns to acquire knowledge and a greater understanding of the roles and functions of the Guyana Prison Service’s Welfare and Corrections Sector.

“It will also enhance their research, analytical, observational, and evaluative skills, and enhance their ability to acquire practical knowledge and develop a professional orientation towards the Prison System”, Elliot related.

The Officer-in-Charge of Prisoners’ Welfare and Corrections, Marielle Bristol-Grant, urged the interns not to approach the venture with fear but to be courageous, confident, and assertive while reminding them that helping professions are never easy and require dedication.

Meanwhile, the Officer-in-Charge of the location, Senior Superintendent of Prisons, Deoraj Gyandat, said the assessment is a valuable research experience for undergraduates and can be one of the most rewarding aspects of their respective courses.