Prison officers trained in rehabilitation and reintegration
The Attorney General said release planning must start long before someone reaches the prison gate.
BASSETERRE, St Kitts. Officers of His Majesty's Prison have begun a two-day training programme on managing people in custody and preparing them for release.
The training, opened on Tuesday at the St Kitts Marriott Resort by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Garth Wilkin, was organised by the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs with the UN Development Programme's PACE Justice Project. Social development officials and civil society groups, including ELEVATE, are also taking part.
The first day covers correctional standards, intake assessment, managing critical incidents, mental health and vulnerability, behaviour management and staff resilience. The second focuses on rehabilitation and reintegration, including case planning, education and vocational work, psychosocial support and coordination with community services.
The government says the programme forms part of a wider justice reform agenda that treats crime and violence as a public health issue.
"Release planning cannot begin when someone is standing at the gate," Mr Wilkin said.
