PRESS RELEASE

January 22nd, 2004

The SVG-Human Rights Association is pleased with the announcement by the Minister of National Security Sir Vincent Beache that a pilot project will be implemented for the purpose of rehabilitating inmates in our State Prisons.

Rehabilitation, not repression, is the way forward if we are to achieve the desired goal of helping the men and women in our prisons in reforming their lives and not offend against the criminal law.

It is understood that thirty inmates will be chosen to enter the rehabilitation programme every six months. They will attend sessions to be taught by two well qualified experts in the field of prison inmate rehabilitation, with support and financing from the Organization of American States (O.A.S). Six local prison officers will also be involved in accessing training in this field.

The SVG-Human Rights Association has been advocating for several years now for a well organized programme of rehabilitation for prison inmates. We mentioned that it would help in the fight to beat back crime and reduce the number of incarcerated repeat criminal offenders and recidivists.

However, rehabilitated inmates who are released from prison may be tempted to return to crime, if they are not given an opportunity to work and earn an honest living.

If this rehabilitative project is to succeed then inmates must be paid wages for the work they do in prison, reasonably commensurate with what various categories of workers receive in free enterprise employment. This way prison inmates on release would be able to save up a reasonable “nest egg” to help them economically on discharge from prison into civilian life.

Victor Cuffy
President
SVG-HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION