Two SPS staff on familiarisation visit to Israel |11 September 2023

Ms Nourrice (right, front row) at a meeting of staff for UniSey careers day

● Tour of youth jail and other facilities planned

Two staff from the Seychelles Prison Service (SPS) have embarked on a familiarisation visit to Israel.

This follows ongoing communications by the Commissioner of Prison, Raymond St Ange and the director of the Ben Shemen Youth Village, Dr Ilana Tischler facilitated by the offices of Eli Rasin. 

The two officers, namely Elsa Nourrice, principal probation officer and head of psychosocial support & rehabilitation along with Sergeant Vicky Rose, senior welfare officer, have arrived in Israel and started their familiarisation visit yesterday, Sunday September 10.

Their tour include a heavy schedule of visits to various facilities and meetings with other officials in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Commissioner St Ange himself was on a working visit to Israel in early 2020 where he had discussions with his counterpart at the Israel Prison Service.  Onward communications continued to include participation by the Israel Prison Service at the fourth observation of Nelson Mandela Day in July 2021 held annually by the SPS and another virtual meeting in September 2022 to discuss further areas of collaboration. 

This working visit comes at a time when the prison service readies to open its first youth offenders facility (YOF) at Amitié, Praslin. 

“As overall responsible for the YOF on Praslin, the opportunity for us to meet our counterparts in the management of ‘at risk’ youth serving sentences in a youth facility comes at an opportune time for us. The networking we are developing and good cooperation with various agencies in Israel is most welcome and appreciated,” said Ms Nourrice ahead of her departure to Israel. 

The officers will not only visit the Ben Shemen Youth Village but also facilities for at risk youth at the Manof Village, the Ofek youth jail, meeting with officials at the Lezion Police Department, officials with the Welfare Ministry, and the Therapeutic Department at Ben Shemen.

Ms Nourrice and Sergeant Rose are expected back in Seychelles on September 15, 2023.

Contributed