Cabinet has approved the renaming of the Guyana Prison Service, which will be called the Guyana Prison and Correctional Service, the Home Ministry announced yesterday.
In a statement, the ministry said a bill is to be tabled in the National Assembly to implement the decision, which is intended to reflect the “correctional” function of the prison system.
“…[I]t should be accepted that the Guyana Prison Service is well positioned to be renamed the Guyana Prison and Correctional Service retaining its role as a detention facility while acknowledging that persons incarcerated in these facilities are not simply “jail men/women” but individuals who must be given a genuine opportunity to reform,” the ministry explained, while noting that the incarceration system in Guyana has undergone “dramatic changes” in keeping with new philosophies and management strategies in response to a changing social environment.
The Guyana Prison Service Strategic Plan 2010-2015, it added, envisions this department as a “highly effective correctional institution” with modern technological facilities and competent staff who “empower and rehabilitate inmates” through structured programmes.
The word “prison” conjures up images of a place of terror, harsh treatment and suffering, while the word “correctional” conveys a positive message of change and purpose, which is central to the rehabilitative work currently undertaken by these custodial institutions, the ministry said.
There has also been a gradual shift towards emphasising the role and effect that rehabilitation can have on prisoners in preparation for their reintegration into society to lead productive lives as law abiding citizens, it further said. In line with this development, it added, there have been significant budgetary allocations for training and rehabilitation of prisoners complemented by the establishment of specific boards to provide oversight, including a Training Board, a Sentence Management Board, and an Agriculture Development Board.
