The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has launched a three-day training fair aimed at strengthening the skills of prison officers and improving their capacity to support the rehabilitation of inmates.
The event, which began on October 2, 2026, is being held at the Prison Headquarters auditorium and compound as part of activities marking the GPS’s 43rd anniversary under the theme, “Engage, Learn and Grow.”
According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), the initiative is the first training fair of its kind organised by the Prison Service and is designed to make professional development more interactive while encouraging officers to take greater interest in expanding their skills.
GPS Chief Officer Trudy DeCunha said the initiative provides officers with an opportunity to strengthen existing competencies while acquiring new knowledge.
“It’s a fun, interactive approach whereby they can come, learn, enhance those skills that they would have already acquired, and also learn new things,” DeCunha said.
The fair features a series of booths highlighting the work of different sections of the Prison Service, including prison management, information technology, reception, languages and the strategic department.
DeCunha said the displays are intended to give officers a better understanding of the responsibilities and functions of the various departments while encouraging them to pursue continuous professional development.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of the GPS’s broader responsibility for the care, management and rehabilitation of persons in its custody. DeCunha stressed that the quality of training received by prison officers is directly connected to the service’s ability to achieve its rehabilitation objectives.
“We understand the importance of rehabilitation, and we can only rehabilitate the inmates effectively when the officers are trained to do so,” she said.
The training fair is also being used as a recruitment opportunity, with members of the public invited to learn more about careers within the Prison Service and the training provided to new officers.
The GPS is encouraging members of the public to attend the event and gain a better understanding of the work and professional development opportunities available within the service.
The three-day activity forms part of the Prison Service’s anniversary programme and places staff development at the centre of its efforts to strengthen prison management and rehabilitation.
Source: Village Voice News
