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.

The Seychelles Prison Service in collaboration with the University of Seychelles is to observe the third ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’ for humane treatment of prisoners, which will be held on July 18 and hosted by at the university’s James Mancham Peace & Diplomacy Research Institute at Anse Royale.

This year’s observation will be held under the theme ‘Crime & Punishment: have we got the balance right?’

It should be recalled that the Seychelles Prison Service first observed ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’ on July 18, 2018, a date which is recognised internationally to remember and commemorate Nelson Mandela. The prison service at that time announced its intentions to align its operations to the United Nations Minimum Standards for the treatment of prisoners, or the ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’ following a directive by the Superintendent of Prisons, Raymond St. Ange.  

The Seychelles Prison Service (SPS) took part in the 1st African Forum on Corrections & Rehabilitation held in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco from January 30 to 31, 2020.

Following an invitation by the Moroccan General Corrections & Rehabilitation Administration, 36 delegations with 450 participants met to discuss issues pertaining to corrections, humane treatment and management of prisoners and detainees, staff training, standards, adherence to ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’ for the humane treatment of prisoners, as well as rehabilitation of inmates and their successful reintegration into society upon completion of their sentence.

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.

In its drive to continually improve on its service delivery the Seychelles Prison Service (SPS) will now require all staff to participate and complete an online ‘E’ learning course offered by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC).

The course consists of an introduction, five substantive modules as well as a final assessment.

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be issued with a certificate by the UNODC.

The course pertains specifically to the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of prisoners.

Seychelles and Mauritius prison services have committed to engaging further via a joint technical committee as agreed in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2017.

Three specific areas will be taken up covering training, exchange of staff and intelligence.

The commitment was made when the superintendent of Seychelles Prison Service, Raymond St Ange and Commissioner Premananda Appadoo, P.D.S.M. of the Mauritius Prison Service met on the sidelines of the 1st African Forum on Administration of Prisons and Reintegration being held in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco.