Thirty-seven inmates and nine prison officers are celebrating their graduation from an educational programme run by Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service and the University of the West Indies Open Campus.
The inaugural Awards Ceremony was held on 1 July, when the 46 graduates were handed their certificates.
The certificates awarded ranged from Introduction to Computers and Small Business Management, to basic English language courses, with some inmates receiving more than one.
For several of the graduates, the classroom work does not end here, and a number of the inmates have applied for acceptance into the UWI Open Campus’s Associate Degree and Bachelor of Science programmes, while others are being encouraged to pursue bridging courses to expand their educational capabilities to enable matriculation into degree programmes.
“Providing inmates with opportunities to develop and build skills increases the likelihood of them gaining employment and thereby allow for a smoother transition as they reintegrate into the community,” Acting Director of HMCIPS Daniel Greaves said in a press release.
Addressing the graduates during the ceremony, Governor Martyn Roper said, “This is an inspiring programme and I want to congratulate the organisers. To the graduates, it is admirable that every one of you has been able and willing to take on this opportunity to turn your lives around, by developing your skill set. I hope some of you may use these skills to pursue opportunities for entrepreneurship, which is a major focus of this educational programme.”
He added, “Above all, I hope that, by taking part in this programme, you will be able to develop your self-confidence and support your overall wellbeing while in custody. I also want to pay tribute to our HMCIPS officers on your success in completing your management course.”
The partnership between the prison service and the university is aimed to modernise and extend the portfolio of educational and skills training programmes available to prison officers and inmates, organisers said in a press release, which noted, “This agreement was both ground-breaking and pioneering for the region and reflects the Cayman Islands’ role as a regional leader in rehabilitation services amongst the overseas territories.”
Of the 37 inmates graduating, eight were female prisoners at Fairbanks prison, and 29 were males from Northward prison.
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