Twenty-four Assistant Prison Officers (APOs) graduated in Basic Recruitment Training, after undergoing approximately two months of training by the Guyana Prison Service. This is the second batch of graduates to complete the course.
Initially the course commenced on October 28, 2013 with 26 participants, however, 24 graduated, with the other two dropping out.
The objective of the course is to produce quality prison officers, who will be able to carry out the duties of the division. The officers were exposed to both practical and written training at the Cecil Kilkenny Prison Officers’ Training School.
The best graduating student was APO#3309 Malvern Williams, while the runners-up were APO#3314 James Douglas and WAPO#3321 Sophia Davis, who were tied at second place.
Speaking at the event on Wednesday, held at the Prison Officers Sports Club, Camp and Bent Streets, Georgetown, Director of Prisons (ag), Welton Trotz, congratulated the officers and urged them to be open to further training. “Feel free to ask questions from your superiors, it is the only way you will enhance your knowledge,” Trotz said.
He also explained the nature of the job to the APOs, noting that it would require them to be stationed at prisons throughout the country, and urged that they conduct themselves responsibly in their daily duties.
Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, urged the officers to become acquainted with the changes in the prison service and to keep pace with their required duties. He said “stagnation or running on the spot is not something that will be accepted, we want to see you moving forward, we want to see promotions.”
Minister Rohee, also warned the officers about letting their guards down, and spoke of the dangers of inmates having cell phones, recollecting the 2002 jail break, and the role of the such phones in that scenario.
He also congratulated the Prison Officers division for ensuring that there hasn’t been any major prison break in several years. (GINA)
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