Prison officers challenged to upgrade skills, mindsets

Prison officers stationed at the New Amsterdam Prison have been encouraged to enhance their individual performance through a commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

The reminder came during a general inspection and quarterly muster conducted by Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot, who visited the facility on Thursday. His visit formed part of the Guyana Prison Service’s (GPS) ongoing efforts to improve operational standards and reinforce the importance of professionalism among its ranks. During the session, officers were urged to adopt a progressive mindset and to focus on self-improvement as a means of delivering more effective and efficient service within the prison system. The Director also highlighted the critical role prison officers play in upholding the integrity and functionality of the nation’s correctional institutions.
The inspection comes amid the GPS’s broader commitment to strengthening its workforce and ensuring that officers remain equipped to meet the demands of maintaining order and security in Guyana’s correctional facilities.
The recent visit also reflects the GPS’s continued efforts to enhance its human resource capacity and reaffirm the vital role prison officers play in maintaining order and security within the correctional system.
This engagement comes shortly after the GPS, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, rolled out a Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) programme at several prison facilities nationwide. The initiative is designed to offer both inmates and staff access to five key subjects, Mathematics, English A, Social Studies, Human and Social Biology, and Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM). It forms part of a wider strategy to promote rehabilitation among inmates and support ongoing professional development for officers.
In addition, the GPS has introduced a Public Speaking and Effective Communication course specifically tailored for prison officers, reinforcing its commitment to improving staff competency and confidence.
These initiatives are part of a larger reform agenda aimed at modernising the prison system. Included in this vision are plans to upgrade recruitment standards, with revised entry requirements intended to attract more capable and well-qualified candidates to the service.