12 inmates at Mazaruni Prison begin skills training
In an effort to prepare inmates for their eventual release, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has launched a series of vocational skill courses at the Mazaruni Prison location.
As such, 12 inmates have already begun classes in electrical installations, carpentry, and joinery, with the aim of perfecting their skills to secure employment opportunities once they leave prison.
Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot emphasised the importance of thinking ahead and providing prisoners with the necessary tools to reintegrate into society. The vocational courses are just one aspect of the prison’s rehabilitation drive, with over 350 inmates set to graduate from various programmes in April 2023.
“That is why it is crucial to think ahead and to prepare prisoners for their reintegration into society,” Elliot noted.
The 12 prisoners who commenced the training
Head of the Welfare and Corrections Department, Marielle Bristol-Grant has overseen the implementation of several rehabilitation programmes in the first quarter of the year.
These programmes include anger management, block making, tailoring, digital skills, cosmetology, animal and crop husbandry, yoga, aquaculture, family reconciliation, and culinary arts.
Following the commencement of the programme, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn urged senior prison officers to prioritise inmate rehabilitation, recognising its vital role in successful reintegration into society.
With the support of prison officials and various vocational courses, inmates at the Mazaruni Prison are being given the opportunity to develop practical skills and make a fresh start upon their release.
