A former prison inmate on Wednesday became the first recipient of the government’s “Fresh Start” Initiative, through which she has received support to reopen her business.
Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn yesterday handed over $200,000 worth of items to Cristy Griffith, a mother of five who hails from Kitty, Georgetown which will aid in the venture.
In January 2020, Griffith and another woman were sentenced to three years and nine months in prison and fined $3.5 million in relation to a bust at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, during which $1.1 million in cocaine was found in a suitcase. She was recently released after serving her sentence.
Speaking to reporters briefly following a simple handing over ceremony yesterday afternoon, Griffith expressed gratitude that she was chosen and said she plan to take full advantage of the support.
The 40-year-old woman, who is certified in cosmetology, said prior to going to prison she owned and operated a salon. However, she said the business eventually folded. “My children them sell out everything and so,” she explained.
Since her release, she has identified a new space which has been already been verified by the programme oversight committee for the re-opening of her businesses. With the help of family and friends, she was able to purchase a few items for the salon. The other needed items were provided through the programme.
In an invited comment, Marielle Bristol, Officer-in-Charge of Prisoners’ Welfare and Correction, explained that the oversight committee is tasked with reviewing all the applications, verifying the area of operation and monitoring the progress of successful applicants.
She said applicants are considered based on a number of criteria, including their behaviour while in prison and post release plans.
The application process, she said, commences in prison and an inmate must meet the criteria before he/she applies. “Part of the criteria is serving at least 18 months in prison. We look at your behaviour pattern, we look at if you would have participated in any training programmes. These are all steps in the direction of showing you are a reformed person,” Bristol explained.
Bristol further explained that since the initiative was rolled out, a total of 12 applications were received. “It does take some time going through the applications but what we found with some of our applicants is that they are not coming out this month. So while you apply and you qualify, you only get it when you are released,” she said.
She added that there are applications that are currently pending as they await the release of inmates.
She said they are looking to target at least five inmates every month but noted that it is solely based on their release.
Bristol also noted that once an applicant is successful, follow up visits are done within the first year after the package is received. “So that allows us to drop in at various intervals that will not be announced to verify that you still have the items, that you have either sold the products if what you have, if it’s agriculture, depending on the tool kit that you received; that you would have either expanded your brand, you have gotten some sort of income, you have made a profit,” Bristol explained.
The tool kits, she said, are also standardised and are amendable based on the needs of recipients observed during visits. “Many times you spend a lot of time in prison. You lose most of what you have because you don’t have anybody to look it after for you. It deteriorates or is stolen. So we want to make sure we are doing more than just providing training programmes in the prison. We give you a tangible means once you are released to make steps in the right direction of making good and clean income for yourself,” Bristol said.
Benn said that the “fresh start” initiative was conceptualised to help reintegrate inmates with the community and their families. “We want to assist people to come out and to have purposeful lives when they come out,” he said.
The government has set aside a sum of $88.9 million this year to aid prisoners through the “Fresh Start” Initiative. The programme is aimed at reducing recidivism and supporting reintegration of prisoners into society.
