Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn strongly believe that all inmates deserve the opportunity to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.

The Minister made the remark while speaking at the Guyana Prison Service’s 39th Thanksgiving Anniversary Church Service held this morning (September 23, 2022) under the theme ‘working towards improving the image of the Guyana Prison Service’ at the National Cultural Centre, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

Minister Benn noted that every inmate in the custody of Correctional Services should be offered the opportunity to rehabilitate and reintegrate 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 noted.

The Minister further noted that the prison system as well as the society must view inmates as people who could have the ability to better themselves and become productive citizens.

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

The Home Affairs Minister is adamant that the culture of reform out of the local prison system 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 took the opportunity to thank the directorate and staff of the GPS, for the on-going work of the organisation 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 at the Thanksgiving was Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot, who noted 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.

In this regard, he said that the service utilises its Strategic Development Plan which continues to provide the framework by which the organisation seeks to reposition itself, from the penal system to that of correctional facility.

The Prison Director highlighted that the administration of the Guyana Prison Service is cognisant that the staff plays an important role in the execution of the organisation’s mandate and 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.

The Prison Head highlighted the significant infrastructural upgrades that have currently been undertaken to enhance the prison system.

Following the Thanksgiving Anniversary Church Service ceremony, the exhibition was officially open. The exhibition concludes on Sunday September 25, 2022.