His Excellency Kumar Gupta, High Commissioner for Canada to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago led a week-long visit by the Advisor to the Commissioner of Correctional Service Canada, Mr. Michael Ryan, to T&T to advance Canada-Trinidad and Tobago cooperation on prison reform.
This visit came on the heels of High Commissioner Gupta’s presentation of credentials to Her Excellency Paula-Mae Weekes, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Activities during the week included meetings with the Minister of National Security the Honourable Stuart Young, the Attorney General, the Honourable Faris Al-Rawi, Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith, and Ag Commissioner of Prisons Dane Clarke.
Trinidad and Tobago Prisons Service continues to actively engage with Correctional Service Canada (CSC) under a Charter of Commitments signed in October 2017. CSC and TT Prisons are working together towards the transition from a punitive model to a rehabilitation model for the TT Prison system.
Progress on the work done under the Charter includes collaboration whereby senior management of TT Prisons have visited facilities in Canada to observe and learn about best practices of corrections management in Canada. Working in partnership, TT Prisons and CSC have identified areas where members of the TT senior prisons management can get further training.
In the way forward, there are plans to undertake on-the-ground training for program and parole officers, in anticipation of the tabling of legislation for the introduction of a system of parole - with the objective of moving towards rehabilitation of inmates and increasing public safety for all citizens of T&T.