Speech by RAMSI Special Coordinator Tim George (9 August 2007)
It’s a proud occasion for the Solomon Islands to host a conference like this, bringing together the correctional leaders of 13 Pacific Island nations. I thank you all for your participation and valuable input into the last four days, and trust that it has been a rewarding experience for you to share ideas and lessons learnt with your regional neighbours.
Developing and holding an international event is a large undertaking and in this regard I’d like to note the Deputy Superintendent (Administration), Francis Haisoma, for his initiative in hosting an event that brings together Pacific neighbours to discuss common issues and concerns in corrections. I would also like to note the Solomon Islands Prisons Service for a job well done.
The Solomon Islands experience in developing its Correctional Service has indeed been a remarkable one.
On my very first provincial visit to Malaita in January this year, I witnessed the Minister, under a hot sun, roll up his sleeves, take a shovel, and turn the first sod of the new Auki Correctional Facility.
It struck me during this visit, and subsequent visits to Gizo - where work on another provincial prison will begin shortly - that locating offenders close to family, close to friends and close to the culture and community that they have grown up in, and will one day return to, is not just good for rehabilitation – but makes the prison experience a fundamentally more humane one.
While prisons are so much more than just buildings, these new structures symbolise what is being achieved in Solomon Islands by the Government with RAMSI's support.
Reducing the rate of recidivism by making offenders connected, valuable and well-adjusted members of their own community should be our goal; and bringing offenders closer to home, while still in prison, is a big step towards that goal.
Over a relatively short period, the Government and SIPS has made great progress towards creating a modern, international standard and ‘more humane’ correctional service. The Regional Assistance Mission has been working closely together with the government to support this process.
The results to date speak for themselves: the development of new legislation, the introduction of new programs for prisoners, staff capacity development through adviser support, training and mentoring, and the undertaking of a construction program to address an outdated provincial network; all of which are significant and positive achievements.
I hope that this experience of coming to Solomon Islands - to see these projects, to talk with the people who made them happen and listen to the lessons people have learnt along the way - has been an instructive one, and one that will endure as you build on the relationships and networks you have established.
And I am sure that, in hearing about your experiences over the last four days, the Solomon Islands has also learnt valuable lessons that can be used to strengthen and build on what is being done here.
Making people-centred Correctional Services is also about acknowledging and building the capacity of those that work within them.
Again, I’d like to acknowledge and congratulate Solomon Islanders for taking the lead in this regard. As a result of an intensive staff capacity development program, RAMSI has been able to reduce its direct involvement in SIPS, with the number of advisers reduced from 50 to 40 in July this year.
Shortly, Solomon Islanders will also be taking on key management roles that are currently held by advisers. Hopefully this conference will continue to assist the ongoing professional development of these new leaders. In this regard I am pleased to hear about the development of a Heads of Pacific Islands Corrections group which will allow everyone to continuing sharing experiences and will contribute to developing best practice corrections systems in your countries on key common issues, such as:
• managing special groups of offenders; such as women and children, or people living with HIV/AID;
• building a strong, happy and professional workforce;
• developing effective prisoner rehabilitation strategies, or
• rebuilding prisons after conflict or a natural disaster.
These are a challenge for any country – but as a region, there is much that we can learn from each other.
Regarding this final point, I’d like to take this opportunity - speaking to the top Corrections Managers in the Pacific - to convey our wish to see more Pacific Islanders involved in the Regional Assistance Mission.
I urge you all to take this message home. Perhaps officers from your country take the opportunity of future advisor positions with the mission, as they arise, to develop the capacity of the Solomon Islands Prison Service, and in doing so, broaden the skills and experience of your staff.
Once again, I hope this conference has been a valuable one for you – as it has been for us here – and thank you for your participation.
I bid you all a safe journey home – and urge you to take home a message that the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands – a regional partnership to which you are all contributors – is making a difference here, and is something of which we can all be proud of.
Thank you.