Guyana now leads the CARICOM region with the lowest recidivism rate, standing at 14 per cent. This means only 14 per cent of released inmates returned to prison in 2024.
In comparison, Barbados recorded a 60 per cent recidivism rate, while Trinidad and Tobago stood at 50 per cent and Suriname at 46 per cent.
During a recent episode of the ‘Safeguarding Our Nation’ programme. Director of Prisons (ag), Nicklon Elliot attributed Guyana’s success to a multi-stakeholder approach involving several government agencies.
He noted that the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) is working closely with the Ministry of Labour to integrate ex-offenders into the job market through the ministry’s job bank initiative.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is leading social prevention programmes while the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security provides community-based support to aid reintegration.
“This by itself will help us to further reduce the level of recidivism within the GPS. Overall, we are working to ensure that the recidivism rate is much lower than it is at the moment,” Elliot stated.
Rehabilitation is now the core mission of the prison service, focusing on education, skills training, therapy, employment, and post-release support, all through the ‘Fresh Start’ Initiative.
The prison director revealed that inmates are being trained in carpentry, culinary arts, and agriculture.
Vocational training schools were constructed at the Lusignan, New Amsterdam, and Timehri Prisons to aid this effort.
Many inmates now contribute to maintenance work within the prison system, applying their newly acquired skills.
Due to these initiatives, the prison population now stands at 2,239, a 2.9 per cent decrease as of July 2025.
“So, we will see, in the near future, the prison population reducing because of all of these efforts regarding our focus within the prison service,” Elliot noted.
