From: UK FRIENDS OF RICHMOND HILL EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Date: 3^rd March, 1999

One of Grenada’s seventeen political prisoners has registered another outstanding academic achievement. Ewart Layne has successfully completed the first half of a Master of Law Degree (LLM) with London University.

At the August 1998 examinations Layne obtained good marks in the two subjects he entered: Insurance Law and Marine Insurance.

Layne is preparing to sit the final two subjects leading to the LLM in August 1999. He will be writing exams in Company Law and Carriage of Goods by Sea. If successful, Layne will obtain a Master of Laws Degree in Commercial and Corporate Law.

Layne is the latest in a string of outstanding academic achievement coming out of Richmond Hill Prison. Since 1996 six of the political prisoners have obtained university degrees from London University.

Several non-political prisoners have achieved passes at A Level, O Level and School Leaving with the prison maintaining a higher pass rate in these exams than the rest of the country. Dozens of inmates who entered prison unable to read or write have acquired these skills in prison.

It is now well established that academic education plays a very important role in reforming prisoners: in that it reduces the likelihood of an inmate returning to a life of crime on release and landing back in prison.

In addition to undertaking his own intellectual development, Layne has been very active as the mathematics teacher in the Prison Education Programme. He has also worked as a carpenter/joiner making furniture in the prison carpenter shop for the past several years.