Bordelais Correctional Facility is at the centre of an ambitious Government drive to shift the focus from punishment to rehabilitation, with increased investment in education, vocational training and digital learning to prepare inmates for life beyond prison walls. The ten laptop computers marks the latest step in that transformation and were donated by the Ministry of Education through the Ministry of Home Affairs, Crime Prevention, Conflict Resolution and Persons with Disabilities.
Minister in the Ministry of Education Danny Butcher revealed that the donation stemmed from an impromptu visit to the correctional facility alongside Minister Jeremiah Norbert, during which a request for computers was made.
According to Butcher, the request was immediately taken to the Ministry of Education, where officials approved the initiative after learning the computers would support inmate rehabilitation. “I told them it was for a worthy cause. It was for rehabilitation, and it was much needed. This is the essence of rehabilitation. This is the essence of what we want—change. We want change, and I know these laptops will go a long way in changing lives.”
The minister said the initiative also reflects the Government’s commitment to stronger collaboration across ministries. “This also says something about your Government. We cannot work in silos. We have to interact, interlink and connect so that we can produce efficient outcomes. This is exactly what the Prime Minister has been encouraging us to do.”
Minister for Home Affairs, Crime Prevention Conflict Resolution and Persons with Disabilities Jeremiah Norbert said the laptop donation represents far more than the provision of technology, describing it as another step in a broader effort to reshape the correctional system.
He disclosed that one of his first actions after taking office was to tour the Bordelais Correctional Facility, where he concluded that too much emphasis had historically been placed on punishment and too little on rehabilitation. “I felt there was far too much emphasis on the punitive component of incarceration and very little on rehabilitation. Bordelais should never be the end of the road. You cannot come to a correctional facility and leave worse than when you came in.”
Norbert said inmates remain individuals with talent and potential, and Government has a responsibility to provide opportunities for personal growth while they are incarcerated. “People who come here are human beings with talent, skills and ability. Our responsibility is to provide the tools that will help develop those skills so that when they leave, they leave as better individuals.”
The donation was welcomed by inmate Clinton Gilbert, who described the laptops as an important investment in the education and personal development of residents at the facility. “I believe this initiative will benefit us well into the future because many of us have never really had access to these kinds of resources,” Gilbert said. “It is a very good thing for us in the education department. It will push us further, help develop our education, allow us to learn more and become more creative.”
Gilbert said access to technology would give inmates greater opportunities to improve themselves academically and acquire skills that could help them rebuild their lives after leaving the correctional facility.
Norbert highlighted ongoing educational and vocational programmes at the facility, including CXC classes, agriculture, tailoring, small-engine repair, and plans to certify inmates in landscaping and other technical fields before their release.
He also announced plans to engage the private sector in creating employment opportunities for rehabilitated inmates, arguing that successful reintegration cannot be achieved by Government alone. “We can do everything within these walls, but if society is not prepared to accept and absorb you into the workforce, then we are going to have a problem. Rehabilitation must continue beyond the prison gates.”
Encouraging inmates to embrace the opportunities being provided, Norbert said the laptops would help ensure they remain connected to an increasingly digital world. “The world is now becoming a digital space. These tools are meant to keep you abreast of what is happening and prepare you to re-enter society. Make the most of them.”
Norbert reaffirmed his vision for Bordelais to become an institution known for transforming lives rather than simply confining offenders. “My hope is that everyone who comes here leaves as a better person—in attitude, in education and in skills.”
