The Guyana Prison Service is making major strides in its transition from a penal system to a correctional facility and one of the key initiatives for 2025 is certified training programmes aimed at giving inmates a second chance through skills development.
During a recent appearance on the ‘Prison in Focus’ programme, Senior Superintendent of Prisons, Mark Smith, explained that the goal is to equip the inmates with vocational skills that will help them find employment after their release.
With $140.2 million allocated for training in the 2025 Budget, the certification programme is designed to provide prisoners with job-ready skills and qualifications. But beyond certification, some inmates will also receive tools such as weeding and sewing machines to help them start their own businesses when they get out of prison.
To further support reintegration, the prison administration is also offering recommendations for inmates seeking employment.
The certification initiative falls under the GPS’s Fresh Start programme, which is dedicated to reducing criminal recidivism and is also aimed at expanding opportunities for occupational training, with a focus on ensuring that inmates develop the job skills they need to find work after release.
With plans to train 1,600 inmates in 2025, officials believe this programme will help reduce crime and ease the burden on the prison system.
The initiative isn’t just for inmates as it also includes upskilling of prison officers to support the rehabilitation process of inmates.
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