THE Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has begun testing electronic ankle bracelet technology as part of a modernisation effort aimed at improving the monitoring and rehabilitation of inmates participating in work and reintegration programmes both within and outside the prison system.
Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot, described the initiative as a major step toward strengthening the Service’s capacity to balance security, accountability, and rehabilitation.
He noted that the technology, once fully implemented, could “revolutionise the way the Prison Service monitors and rehabilitates incarcerated individuals.”
“By utilising advanced technology, these devices will allow prison officers to know the exact location of the inmate and alert them quickly if they are outside the authorised zone,” Elliot explained.
The tamper-resistant devices are worn around the ankle at all times and use radio frequency signals to communicate with a central monitoring station. This allows officers to track the movements of selected inmates in real time and respond promptly to any breaches of designated boundaries.
The Director said the introduction of electronic monitoring forms part of the GPS’s wider agenda to promote accountability, efficiency, and humane correctional practices. He also confirmed that ongoing discussions are being held with the Minister of Home Affairs to expand the programme into key priority areas where it can deliver measurable benefits to both inmates and the wider community.
According to Elliot, the initiative reflects the GPS’s broader commitment to “changing culture and mindset for corrections”—a shift away from punitive models of incarceration toward systems that emphasise rehabilitation, trust, and reintegration.
If successful, the use of ankle bracelets could mark a new chapter in Guyana’s correctional reform process, offering a modern, technology-driven approach to inmate management and community safety.