New programme to reduce prisoner recidivism – Minister Benn

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, M.P, on Thursday, announced the launch of a new programme aimed at upskilling prisoners to reduce chances of them returning to prison after their release.

The ‘Increasing the Peace in Guyana’ programme was catered for in budget 2022, to the tune of $88.9 million to reform the lives of 1,400 prisoners.

During day four of the national budget debate, Minister Benn said government is dedicated to the rehabilitation of prisoners who leave the penitentiary.

“We are looking amongst many of the measures in having a fresh start for prisoners, having them trained, having them being given the tools to start out and relaunch activities because we have all kinds of craftsmen and professions in the prisons, and we want to reduce the level of recidivism.”

The programme will target areas such as anger management, literacy and numeracy, and tailoring, among others, and will seek to ensure prisoners have a stable life after serving time.