Prison officers vital to inmates’ reintegration into society – Director

In order to maintain good order and discipline within the prison walls, Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot urged prison officers to enforce all of the prisons’ rules and policies. This call was made on Saturday at the Prison Headquarters’ first quarterly muster and general inspection of officers.
He added that without prison officers, prisons would be run by the inmates and complete chaos would ensue. As such, Elliot further urged the officers to adopt approaches for greater professionalism, accountability, and changes in executing their duties.
He said that such behaviour would play a lead role in the effort to provide an efficient and effective service, not only within the Guyana Prison Service but the public at large.
“Prison officers play a vital role in the existence of the Guyana prison system. They are the first line of defence within the prison estates. They are ultimately responsible for the safety, security, and supervision of inmates that are under their care, so you must remain disciplined and adapt to changes as officers at all times, no matter the circumstances,” Elliot poised.

Themed “Promoting Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Prisoners” Elliot revealed that the prison service has an obligation to provide prisoners with skills to facilitate their reintegration into society.
He said that the prison’s task is to help the inmates realise their mistakes and become better individuals.
Additionally, Deputy Director of Prisons Kevin Pilgrim noted that if prison staff are to carry out their important public service in a professional manner, they need to be carefully selected and properly trained, hence he implored the officers to take every training opportunity offered, to better equip themselves.
Pilgrim further stated that the prison directorate remains confident that more officers will benefit from robust training programmes as the prison infrastructure continues to be developed.
Only a few months ago, 114 prison officers graduated from various courses they completed. The aim of the training is to ensure that the officers are exposed to not only institutional training but also training at the technical level.
It also promotes the ability to critically analyse arising and existing problems and proactively find creative solutions. It advocates self-confidence, taking responsibility, speaking clearly and effectively, working in a team, critically assessing information, and sharing ideas in an engaging and persuasive manner.
Nevertheless, last year, some 250 ranks were trained from 19 completed courses. Additionally, 275 ranks have been identified for further training for the second half of the year. (G9)