Prison Service pushes rehabilitation drive as recidivism hits regional low

…says over 1300 inmates trained in accredited programmes

The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has said that a sustained cultural shift, expanded accredited programmes, and institutional reforms are driving measurable improvements within the correctional system, as the country records one of the lowest recidivism rates in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The disclosure was made during the first 2026 episode of Prisons in Focus, the Prison Service’s monthly televised programme, where senior officials outlined the progress made in reshaping the philosophy and operations of the prison system.
Assistant Superintendent of Prisons and Head of Prison Training, Abeid Decunta, said the Service has significantly strengthened its rehabilitation focus over the past year.
“Considering our recidivism rate is so low, we have over 15 programs for prisoners, over 15 accredited programs,” Decunta stated.
He explained that the transformation goes beyond offering basic training and instead centres on preparing inmates for sustainable reintegration into society.
“We are now focused on not just giving persons a skill in prison, we are focused on ensuring that these men and women behind bars can have a skill to the point where either they are gainfully employed or become self-employed so as to reduce that recidivism rate, that reentry rate to prisons.”
According to Decunta, 2025 was used as a period of consolidation, during which the Prison Service addressed operational challenges while building on previous gains.
“While 2025 had its challenges, of course, we worked with them, and from experience you learn.”
He noted that collaboration with external partners remains critical as the Service works to further reduce repeat offending.
“We are working with CDC to ensure that that figure goes lower. We want it in single digits.”
Decunta underscored that institutional reform has required internal cultural change among officers, ensuring alignment with the Service’s rehabilitative direction.
“We have enforced to the point where every prison officer at the basic level is informed of what the direction of the service is going. And as a result, they have buy-in.”
He emphasised that meaningful reform must also occur at the individual level.
“We want persons returning to society as better individuals. That can only happen if the person we are trying to work with is encouraged to change and accept that reality that the change is inevitable. I have to change.”
Assistant Director of Prisons Olivia Cox also reflected on the Service’s evolution, highlighting infrastructural expansion and programme growth over the years.
“When I look at where, when I joined the service, where we were… we have come a very far way.” She added: “We’re climbing and we continue climbing.”
Guyana’s correctional system moved away from a predominantly punitive model over the recent years toward structured rehabilitation and reintegration. This policy direction, reinforced by government investment since 2020, has produced measurable outcomes, including a recidivism rate that now stands at approximately 14 per cent, the lowest recorded within CARICOM. Previous figures hovered closer to 18 per cent, while several regional jurisdictions continue to record significantly higher averages.
Expanded vocational and academic programming has formed a central pillar of this transformation. Inmates across facilities have accessed certified training in trades such as carpentry, welding, masonry, agriculture, electrical installation and tailoring, while structured academic initiatives now allow incarcerated individuals to pursue formal qualifications, including Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects.
In 2025 alone, more than 1,300 inmates benefited from rehabilitation and skills training programmes across the country’s correctional facilities, reflecting both institutional capacity and increased inmate participation.
Infrastructure upgrades at facilities, including Mazaruni and Lusignan have further strengthened the delivery of rehabilitation services, while enhanced officer training has aligned prison management with a reintegration-focused philosophy.
According to the Prison Service, sustained investment in rehabilitation, accredited training and family engagement will remain central to its strategy as it works to further reduce repeat offending and consolidate the cultural transformation underway within Guyana’s prison system.