Prison Service rolls out Christmas family bonding initiative

Tears turned to smiles and long-awaited embraces filled prison visitation areas across the country as the Guyana Prison Service rolled out its annual Christmas Family Bonding Initiative, giving inmates the chance to reconnect with their families during the holiday season.

The initiative ran from December 1 to 15, between 08:30 hrs and 14:00 hrs and was facilitated at all prison locations.

Speaking during a recent episode of ‘Prisons in Focus’, Superintendent of Prisons, Davis Shepherd said the programme was rolled out to create a meaningful psychosocial impact that supports the preservation of the family unit.

According to Shepherd, the initiative provided inmates with emotional and psychological relief through brief moments of interaction with loved ones whether was their children, parents and relatives from whom they may have been separated for extended periods.

“It gives them comfort to know that their families are well, healthy and taken care of.

“At the same time, inmates get to see that their children are growing, that they are loved and still want to share time with them. That reminder that somebody still cares even though they may have run afoul of the law is extremely important,” Shepherd said.

During the visits, inmates were allowed to share meals with their families, exchange hugs and spend quality time together.

“They smile, they are happy, they hug their children.

“For incarcerated mothers especially, that moment brings a great sense of relief and encourages them to become better persons, knowing that someone is looking out for them,” he said.

Shepherd added that in many cases where inmates do not receive visits, welfare officers often have to intervene to facilitate contact, sometimes even arranging phone calls.

The Christmas bonding initiative, however, sparked renewed family involvement.

“Now that we are doing this bonding, you see the joy coming out,” Shepherd said.

While acknowledging that families sometimes withdraw when a loved one is incarcerated, Shepherd said the strong turnout is encouraging.

“Seeing so many families come out gives inmates hope and with hope, all possibilities can be achieved,” Shepherd said.