DOMINICA DEVELOPING PRISONER REINTEGRATION PROGRAM

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001554 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PGOV PREL EAID DO XL SUBJECT: DOMINICA DEVELOPING PRISONER REINTEGRATION PROGRAM REF: BRIDGETOWN 1339 ¶1. (SBU) The Dominica Prison Service is developing and implementing inmate rehabilitation and reintegration plans. Felix Gregoire, Cabinet Secretary, and Matthew LeBlanc, Labour Commission, both confirmed to PolOff that PM Skerrit has made prisoner rehabilitation a priority and is allocating funds to make it a reality. Thanks to a new wing at Dominica's Stockfarm Prison, which includes classrooms and facilities for skills training, classes in remedial education, advanced education, and trade skills will begin in January. ¶2. (SBU) Algernon Charter, the Superintendent of Prisons, says this is a first step in a larger plan he submitted to government. The broader plan includes a reintegration program that would place a probation office inside the prison. This office would work with the inmate and his family before he inmate's release, and then coordinate with th external probation officers following release. Acording to Charter, this program is still in theplanning phase and has yet to be finally approvedby the GOCD. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: As reported in eftel, domestic reintegration programs, such as he ones Barbados and Dominica are currently developing, could be excellent potential partners for USG-funded deportee integration initiatives in the Caribbean akin to the newly initiated IOM scheme. Supporting the development of these programs through training or consulting programs could make the implementation of future programs easier and cheaper and maximize the impact of scarce USG assistance dollars. OURISMAN