The James R. Mancham Peace and Diplomacy Research Institute and the Seychelles Prison Service (SPS) are organising a half-day symposium at the University of Seychelles next Friday, August 21, 2020 to discuss crime and punishment.

Crime is a worry for all societies. It is a worry because it is a threat for the rest of us. And it is a worry because the criminal themselves are wasting their lives.

But what to do about it? In an ideal society there would be no crime. But, sadly, there is no such place and we have to deal with it. The question is how best to do this. If we get it wrong, prisoners will be locked up for a term and return to society – until the next time. But if we get it right there is hope that they can be rehabilitated to become good members of their community.

The Seychelles Prison Service has named its members to represent the entity on a joint prison technical committee with Mauritius.

The members are Raymond St. Ange, superintendent of Seychelles Prison Service; Meira Savy, advisor to the Designated Minister; Elsa Nourice, principal probation officer and head of rehabilitation services at the Seychelles Prison; and chief inspector Louisna Neamtu, head of internal assurance and quality at the Seychelles Prison.

The nominations were submitted through a letter sent to the Mauritius Prison Service with a note verbal from the department of foreign affairs attached.

In October 2017, the then Minister for Family Affairs, Jeanne Simeon and the Mauritian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Seetanah Lutchmeenaraidoo, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which would see each country’s respective prison service cooperating in the areas of prison operations and staff training. The agreement was to remain in force for a period of three years following which it would be automatically renewed for an additional three years.

The Seychelles Prison Service was pleased to answer the call and special request made by Father Yves, parish priest for St Francis at Baie Lazare, to help make the church ready for services which will pick up again as from tomorrow Sunday May 24, 2020.

“Our community support is starting to pick up again and we were very pleased to answer the call and help over the past few days, cutting grass, cleaning and installing wash basins so that parishioners can wash their hands prior to entering or leaving the church service,” said Donald Zialor, program 2 coordinator for Project Phoenix and rehabilitation officer at the Seychelles Prison Service.

A group of secondary students from English River school with a record of truancy, recently had the opportunity to interact and positively engage with prison officials as well as two young inmates with the aim of helping them change their behaviour and take their studies and life more seriously.

The session was led by Elsa Nourice, the principal probation officer and head of rehabilitation and psychosocial support at the prison service. Raymond St. Ange, the superintendent of prisons was also present and he addressed the students pressing home to them the need to take life seriously and positively.

Representatives from the various religious groups have met with Superintendent of Prisons, Raymond St Ange, along with Elsa Nourrice, head of rehabilitation, and Donald Zialor, rehab officer and programme coordinator for Project Phoenix at the Seychelles Prison Service (SPS), to discuss the resumption of faith-based support work with inmates.

This took place during their second meeting for this year.

Improving service delivery noted

The Seychelles Prison Service (SPS) has completed its annual report for 2019 and will shortly submit it to the Office of the Designated Minister, Minister for Home Affairs, Macsuzy Mondon, for her review and onward direction.

The annual report for 2019 has this time incorporated additional areas of the service’s operations documenting the positive changes that the service has implemented for the past year and which has contributed to an improved service delivery over-all and year to date.

“We appreciate that we have not addressed all deficiencies 100% but we do take note that we are without a doubt on the right track as we continue to move to a systems based method of operations set against recognised international standards, like the United Nations Rules on the Humane Treatment of Prisoners, now known as the Nelson Mandela Rules,” said Raymond St Ange, Superintendent of SPS.