Prison Service to launch mental health and correctional programme soon

Senior correctional officials from 13 countries will gather in Guyana next week for the Guyana Prison Service Senior Officers’ Conference that will, among other things, see the launch of a new mental health and correctional leadership programme in collaboration with the University of Guyana.

The conference, which opens on Monday, March 16 2026, will be formally declared open by President Dr Irfaan Ali and is expected to attract high-level delegations from across the Caribbean and the United States.

Countries confirmed to participate include Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, Anguilla, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas and the United States, with senior officials travelling to Guyana to examine developments within the country’s prison system.

The event will focus on strengthening correctional services across the region, sharing best practices and advancing rehabilitation efforts for inmates.

Assistant Director of Prisons (Operations), Deoraj Gyandat said the conference will also provide an opportunity for countries to learn from each other as the region continues to modernise its correctional systems.

“While we want persons to come to Guyana and learn from what we are doing in the prisons here, we also don’t know it all so we can learn from them as well,” Gyandat explained during a programme on Radio Eve Leary on Thursday.

A key highlight of the week will be the launch of the Mental Health and Correctional Leadership Programme, which will be offered through the University of Guyana. The launch is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18.

The programme is expected to train correctional officers locally while also opening opportunities for officers from across the wider Caribbean to enroll.

“One of the things we want to achieve is for Guyana to become a regional hub for the training of correctional officers right here in Guyana, and this would be done with none other than the University of Guyana,” Gyandat said.

The conference will also feature an exhibition on its opening day where international companies will showcase modern correctional security equipment, including riot gear, scanners and other advanced technologies used in prison management worldwide.

On the second day of the conference, members of the international delegation will tour the Lusignan Prison, which has been completely rebuilt using imported steel cells from the United States that meet international standards for the treatment of offenders.

Authorities say the modern facilities reflect Guyana’s shift toward a more progressive corrections system focused on rehabilitation and humane treatment.

“Every inmate that comes into the prison must be treated fairly and must be rehabilitated where it is possible,” Gyandat emphasised.