THE Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the promotion of 101 officers within the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), in what has been described as one of the most comprehensive advancement exercises undertaken by the correctional system in recent years.
According to a press release issued on Thursday, the promotions span supervisory, administrative and technical levels, and are intended to expand command capacity, strengthen middle-management oversight and support ongoing security and rehabilitation reforms across the country’s prison system.
The promotions include five Superintendents of Prisons; 13 Assistant Superintendents; two Cadet Officers (Internal) on probation; 17 Chief Prison Officers; 28 Principal Prison Officers II; 23 Principal Prison Officers I; 12 Prison Trade Instructors and one Coxswain.
The ministry noted that the advancement exercise followed extensive administrative and procedural reviews and forms part of broader efforts to restore structured career progression within the service, while strengthening succession planning and operational accountability across correctional facilities.
Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond said the promotions place trusted officers in positions of greater responsibility, as the government continues to modernise the prison system.
“Secure facilities and effective rehabilitation depend on their discipline, fairness, and daily commitment to lawful and humane custody,” the minister said.
The promotions align with a wider reform programme currently underway within the Guyana Prison Service.
This includes infrastructural modernisation at facilities such as Lusignan and Mazaruni, the introduction of enhanced electronic security systems, and professional training for more than 150 officers in 2026 in areas such as correctional management and human-rights standards.
Additionally, efforts are being made to strengthen skills-based reintegration programmes to better prepare inmates for re-entry into society.
Minister Walrond also encouraged those promoted to pursue continuous personal and academic development as they assume their new roles.
The Ministry of Home Affairs reaffirmed its commitment to advancing reforms aimed at strengthening professional standards within the prison system, while improving officer welfare and public confidence in correctional administration.