Mazaruni inmates graduate with husbandry, culinary certificates

Thirty-nine inmates of the Mazaruni Prison received their certificates after successfully completing a 12-week husbandry and culinary arts programme.
The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) established these training programmes as part of its rehabilitation strategy designed to enhance inmates’ employability and reduce their likelihood to re-offend.

At the graduation ceremony, Officer-in-Charge of the prison location, Superintendent of Prisons David Shepherd said inmates were given an opportunity to participate in the two programmes which focused on imparting skills with the aim of preparing them for their reintegration into society.
Additionally, the second Officer-in-Charge for the Prison’s Welfare and Corrections, Tessa McGarrell also explained that the prison service has an obligation and mandate to provide prisoners with skills to facilitate their reintegration into society, adding that the prison’s task is to help the inmates realise their mistakes and become better individuals.
Meanwhile, Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot said the prison directorate remains confident that as the prison infrastructure continues to be developed, more prisoners will benefit from such rehabilitative training.
He made it clear that the rehabilitation of prisoners is an ongoing process, stating that “we are adequately preparing them whether it is with skill or educational training so that when they are released back into society, they are productive citizens.”
The graduates were all presented with a certificate in recognition of their successful participation.
Only a few months ago, 170 inmates from various prisons countrywide graduated after completing training courses in various programmes aimed at preparing them for reintegration into society.
The areas of training were anger management, agriculture, electrical insulation, yoga, tailoring, carpentry, joinery, literacy, welding, aquaculture, family reconciliation, charcoal production, and culinary arts.
Prior to this, a total of 770 inmates completed various training programmes for the year 2022.
This comes on the heels of a commitment made by the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Prison Service to rehabilitate 1200 inmates within a year.
The Government has adopted a policy of prisoners’ reform, which is done through the provision of training opportunities, allowing inmates to acquire basic income-generating skills and improve their literacy levels while serving their sentences.
Earlier this year, the Government increased the budgetary allocation in the area of training for inmates, earmarking a sum of $88.9 million to train prison inmates in an effort to further reduce recidivism and support reintegration through the Fresh Start Initiative.