SPS and SNYC discuss future collaborations |10 June 2023
Handshake between CEO Duncan and CP St Ange
The Seychelles Prison Service and the Seychelles National Youth Council have held talks on future collaborations and how the latter could engage with the prison service to rehabilitate offenders.
The Commissioner of Prison, Raymond St Ange, welcomed Albert Duncan, the chief executive of the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) and his team to the Montagne Posée prison on Wednesday, May 31, for the discussions.
Set up in March 1998, the SNYC works with various youth organisations, secondary and post-secondary institutions, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Their target audience are youths aged from 15 to 30 years.
The prison service welcomed this opportunity, which allowed them to discuss a number of issues pertaining to young offenders, including the young offenders’ facility that will soon open in Praslin and those presently incarcerated for various offences.
“There is an opportunity for us to collaborate with the SNYC and tap into the programmes they run, that may be geared towards our clients in custody or those juveniles who may be sentenced to our youth facility in the future,” said Mr St Ange.
For his part Mr Duncan said, “We welcome the opportunity to collaborate and work with youths who are at risk, on probation or currently incarcerated. We feel we can tailor a number of programmes to help these youths rehabilitate and make a meaningful contribution to society.”
At the end of the meeting, Mr St Ange also extended an invitation to SNYC to be part of its Nelson Mandela Day celebration, organised in collaboration with the University of Seychelles and the James R. Mancham Peace & Diplomacy Research Institute, on July 18.
Both sides also agreed to consider a memorandum of understanding to further cement the proposed working relationship.
Inmates aged 19 to 30 years account for a majority of the prison population with male inmates far exceeding female inmates.
Contributed/Compiled by Patsy Canaya
