Many of the inmates at Dodds Prison will soon be receiving reflective journals, so they can share their feelings on a range of matters.
Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General with responsibility for Crime Prevention, Corey Lane, presented the 450 reflective journals/colouring books and 200 boxes of crayons to acting Assistant Superintendent of Prisons with responsibility for administration, Major Cedric Proverbs, at the St. Philip institution, today.
Mr. Lane said the journals were part of a rehabilitation project that would assist the prisoners. He explained that writing down their thoughts would be therapeutic for them, and also allow for the collection of data by officials, which would go towards research.
“I must admit that when my Project Unit said to me that some of the inmates were requesting crayons and a colouring book, I was a bit surprised. But as I thought about it, I saw the opportunity to not only present a colouring book but to present a journal; to present an information booklet in an effort to gather data within this particular project.
“A lot of people don’t understand the relationship sometimes between journalling and healing oneself, and this project demonstrates that…. The National Peace Program and the Crime Prevention Unit within the Office of the Attorney General have been working with a number of inmates [for] months before their release and we plan to continue doing so,” the Minister stated.
He added that the unit is currently working on a number of projects with Dodds Prison, and identified them as including the areas of music, and cooking. “This is something I plan to support, … as we continue to wrestle crime in Barbados to the ground,” Mr. Lane stressed.
Special Projects Chairperson in the National Peace Program (NPP), Tyrell Giles, said inmates would be sensitised about the journals, their importance, and how to use them this Wednesday.
Mr. Giles continued: “We have been advised by the Minister, Corey Lane, that within a week or two, we want to be collecting that data from the journals and analysing the information. The journal is structured in a way that allows the inmates to write down their feelings every day of the week, and other essential information, etcetera.”
He noted that the data and research would also be shared with social workers and those who work with inmates.
“As we seek to continue working, whether with the cooking or music programmes, it is all in an effort to address the recidivism rate, as this is a section of society that has…to return to wider society. We have to ensure that we are rehabilitating them and preparing them to return to society, and that there is no need for them to return to prison,” Mr. Giles indicated.
Major Proverbs thanked Minister Lane and the team for the contributions they were making to the prison service and its rehabilitation programmes. He expressed optimism that the research would be beneficial to the nation going forward.
“This [initiative] is just one of a few, as the Minister mentioned earlier, in terms of getting the inmates involved in programmes that will hopefully prevent them from returning here in the future.
“I hope that as we put this programme into place, that the benefits will be…immediate, and that we would not have to be a part of a system that is seeing recidivism continuing within our communities,” the acting Assistant Superintendent stated.
The National Peace Program is implemented by the Government, in collaboration with civil society organisations, and other stakeholders. It is aimed at promoting peace, harmony, and stability in the country, and is an essential tool for preventing and reducing crime in the short, medium and long term.
The Immediate Action Plan of the NPP was rolled out last November 6, and the overall programme is still in development. The day-to-day programme will be managed by the members of the NPP Project Unit, who will plan and execute activities. The NPP will be officially launched later this year.