Harris Paints gives “Fresh Start” training for prison inmates

Thirteen inmates were trained on Harris Troweltex Textured Finish application at Lusignan Prison’s Vocational Training School as Harris Paints Guyana collaborated with the Guyana Prison Service and Str8edge Superior Painting to develop finishing skills in the construction industry.
This training programme took place under the Home Affairs Ministry’s “Fresh Start” initiative which aims to reduce recidivism, provide skills to improve inmates’ future employment prospects, and help them successfully reintegrate into society upon their release.
Participating alongside the inmates were three officers and Prison Trading Instructor Norvan Amsterdam.
This training included technical information, notes on preparation and hands-on practice applying the finish with a float and trowel to create its unique texture.
As the stone-render style textured finish continues to grow in popularity in Guyana for both interior and exterior finishes, Harris Paints’ Retail Services Manager Nigel Dodson noted that the sales of Harris’ Troweltex have increased significantly thus leading to a need for more skilled applicators.
“There is a bit more to it than traditional painting but, from a construction perspective it has several benefits: it is mainly used as a one coat system so is relatively quick to apply; it can easily cover imperfections in the underlying wall surface; it has a very sophisticated aesthetic and adds to the overall strength of the building,” Dodson said.
Harris Paints, which has been a major supplier of paints in Guyana for over 30 years, also makes an elastomeric version of this finish specially designed to coat concrete panel construction that allows for slight movements of the building without cracking.
Dodson thanked Harris Paints trainers Garfield Manasseh and Mohamed Rahim, the Harris trainers, and Str8edge Superior Painting’s texture finish application expert Vinroy Johnson for their participation in leading the event.
He noted that it was a great pleasure to be able to contribute to this constructive approach to reducing recidivism and strengthening communities.
Since its launch last year, the “Fresh Start” initiative has amassed significant achievements, with the Prison Service previously reporting a drop in recidivism rates in the country from 13 per cent in 2021 to 10 per cent in 2022.
Over the year, a number of inmates have engaged in various training exercises and received tools and equipment to earn a sustainable income in fields including tailoring, carpentry, landscaping, and cosmetology.