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In keeping with their commitment to offender rehabilitation, the Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service (HMCIPS) continues to offer programmes and interventions designed to provide inmates with skills for change and recently held graduation ceremonies this week to celebrate the completion of two Prison Fellowship International (PFI) programmes.

“These are just two of the many programmes that HMCIPS provides to inmates which enables them to reflect on past behaviour and practice new ways of thinking and behaving in preparation for future re-entry to the community and hopefully, a life that is productive and crime free,” The Minister for Home Affairs, Hon. Tara Rivers, JP explained.

“I would like to extend my congratulations to the successful participants and I encourage all inmates to take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to them in the prison, which will have a positive impact on their lives, their families and the community,” she continued.

PFI is a Christian organisation with fellowships across 117 countries. Its teachings offer inmates the opportunity to reflect on their crimes in the context of their relationship with Christianity and reconciliation.

Inmates from HMP Northward also recently completed The Prisoner’s Journey (TPJ) and the Sycamore Tree Project (STP) programmes. TPJ has been offered to inmates since January 2019 and STP has been offered since January 2016. Participation in both courses is voluntary.

TPJ is a journey through the gospel of Mark and poses three questions to inmates: ‘Who is Jesus?’, ‘Why did He come?’ and ‘So what/what is that to me?’ This week, an additional 9 inmates graduated from the programme, bringing the total graduates this year to 73.

STP is based on the principles of restorative justice and teaches the consequences of crime and provides an opportunity for inmates to explore the concepts of responsibility, confession and repentance, forgiveness, making amends and reconciliation. A total of 183 inmates have graduated from STP since its inception in 2016. A further 12 inmates graduated from the programme this week.

“It is truly inspirational to see inmates go on this journey of awareness. I am extremely proud of all our graduates for embracing these teachings as they continue along their path to rehabilitation,” said Prison Chaplin, Ms Cathy Gomez.

Ms Gomez, who took part in facilitator training last year, has a goal to have 60% of the prison population graduate from the TPJ programme. She has expressed sincere thanks to other facilitators who were trained to assist with delivering the programme.

“One of the purposes of detention is to offer individuals a chance to come to terms with the decisions they made and the circumstances that brought them to committing their crime as well as the impact their crime has had on others,” Director of HMCIPS, Mr. Steven Barrett said.

He continued, “It’s important to us that those in our custody are provided with the tools they need to make informed choices about their lives going forward. These programmes are very challenging but also offer inmates hope about a transformed future.”

HMCIPS are also planning to take part again this year in PFI’s The Angel Tree Program. The programme allows church volunteers the opportunity to engage in the lives of prisoners’ families in the lead up to Christmas.

On average, 80 gifts per year are either distributed to the children of prisoners in the community or received by the children when they visit their parents in prison during the festive season.