Skills over Sentences! - 1,000 prisoners trained yearly as Guyana drives recidivism to record low

Skills over Sentences! – 1,000 prisoners trained yearly as Guyana drives recidivism to record low

Mar 23, 2026 News

Approximately 1,000 prisoners each year are being equipped with critical skills through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, as part of a national push to reduce recidivism by prioritising rehabilitation and reintegration.

Inmates across Guyana’s prison system are benefiting from a wide range of training initiatives focused on behaviour change, entrepreneurship, and academic development—preparing them for a smoother transition back into society. Speaking at the just concluded Guyana Prison Service (GPS) Senior Officers’ Conference, Director of Prisons (ag) Nicklon Elliot revealed that prisoners are now enrolling in the Guyana Digital School platform to further enhance their personal skills.

Skills over Sentences! - 1,000 prisoners trained yearly as Guyana drives recidivism to record low

Director of Prisons (ag), Nicklon Elliot

He also added that the GPS continues to expand the reintegration process by providing prisoners with a toolkit upon their release, which would contribute to their employment, thus giving them a fresh start. “Overall, these efforts contribute significantly to the decline in persons committing offences and returning to prison. Hence, Guyana has recorded the lowest recidivism rate of 14 per cent within the Caribbean region, and we are working to further reduce this number,” the director stated.

Beyond inmate upskilling, the director noted that officers are also undergoing training programmes to improve their personal skills and better support recidivism reduction efforts. A total of six officers completed their master’s degrees in public administration, human resource management, health care management and social work.

Another 12 completed their bachelor’s degrees, 35 completed their diploma programmes, 17 earned technical certificates, and 362 participated in tertiary certificate programmes in the field of prison management. Meanwhile, in advancing technology, the GPS collaborated with the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) to digitalise prisoners’ records and warrants, as well as staff personal files. All staff personal files have already been digitalised, while 90 per cent of prisoners’ records and warrants have been digitalised, with the remainder to be completed shortly. (DPI)

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Guyana Prison Service, prisoners, recidivism, trained, TVET

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