Follow us on:

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube

Archive -Seychelles

Reunionnais leader visits Coetivy prison |22 August 2013

 


The Seychelles Prison Services hosted a delegation from Reunion, headed by the president of the island’s regional council, Didier Robert, on a visit to its prison facility on Coetivy Island.  

Accompanying Mr Robert on the August 13 visit was Genevieve Iancu, the French ambassador to the Seychelles.

The half-day visit, organised by the Superintendent of Montagne Posée prison, Maxime Tirant, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided an opportunity for both the French ambassador and the President of the Regional Council of Reunion, to view for themselves the activities of the prisoners on the island.

These prisoners have volunteered to be part of the rehabilitation process on the island by developing or acquiring new skills so as to improve their chances of re-integrating into society after successfully completing their sentences.

The rehabilitation programme, which at the moment covers fisheries and agricultural activities, is expected to grow and develop further to include other skills, as per the prison services’ five-year strategic plan, which was launched in August 2012.

“This visit provided us an opportunity to show to our friends from Reunion what we have been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time,” said Superintendent Tirant.
“It was also an occasion to discuss with them our goals and objectives of the programme, with the possibility of interacting with identified technicians from Reunion to assist us in further developing the scheme,” Mr Tirant added.

Besides a brief tour of the facilities on the island, Ambassador Iancu and Mr Robert viewed a presentation delivered by Antoine Moustache on the programme itself, its effects and other positive developments encountered to date, as well as the future plans for enhancing the programme further. The delegation was free to mingle and talk with the prisoners who were happy to showcase what they have been able to develop to date while on Coetivy.

The Minister for Home Affairs and Transport Joël Morgan, who is responsible for prisons, has welcomed the visit of Mr Robert and his delegation to Seychelles and in particular Coetivy, so that they can see for themselves the progress being made in prison management and reforms currently underway.

“It has always been the government’s objective for our prisons to become stellar institutions of rehabilitation, where men and women, who after serving their sentences, become productive members of society. This is happening today as we continually adopt internationally recognised standards and best practices in order to reach our declared objectives,” said the minister.

On behalf of the prison services and of his ministry, Mr Morgan thanked the Islands Development Company, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their assistance and efforts in making the visit of Mr Robert and his delegation, and that of Madame Iancu, a success.

 

 

 

» Back to Archive