Press release

From: UK FRIENDS OF RICHMOND HILL EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Date: 1998

The Richmond Hill Prison Obtains Two More University Degrees

Two more prisoners of the Richmond Hill Prison, St. George's, Grenada, have now completed university degrees with the University of London. They are Selwyn Strachan, the former Cabinet Minister in the People's Revolutionary Government and Liam James. Strachan obtained his Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree, while James the Bachelor of Science (BSC) degree in Economics. These two latest successes bring the total number of inmates completing university degree from behind prison bars to six, with five gaining honours, including two upper second class and two lower second class honours. A seventh inmate is on target to complete a Bachelor degree in law next June.

In 1996 Ewart Layne, former Secretary of Defense in the People's Revolutionary Government, created history when he became the first person in Grenada's prison to obtain a university degree, when he was awarded his LLB honours degree. His success was followed in 1997 by those of Callistus Bernard and Christopher Stroude in Sociology, and Leon Cornwall in Theology. Callistus Bernard had a year earlier won the prestigious James Stewart Cook prize as the most outstanding student worldwide in his second year exams.

In the National School Leaving exams, the Richmond Hill Prison maintained its consistently high standard, obtaining 100% success. The top student, Steve Swan, obtained an overall average of 81.83% in his six subjects, Swan, who is presently studying for next June's GCE O'Levels, is giving back to the education programme by teaching this year's School Leaving students

Of the two inmates sitting the GCE O'Levels exams in June 1998, one, Johnny Hinds, was successful in his two subjects. He is currently studying three additional subjects while at the same time teaching other inmates on the programme.

Indeed, virtually all graduates at all levels of the Prison Education Programme, while continuing to advance their studies to ever higher levels, are themselves becoming teachers in the programme, teaching those currently at lower levels to themselves. Inmates, in fact, from its inception, have run the entire education programme, themselves.

Those inmates doing correspondence courses in Drafting, Building Construction, Nutrition and fitness, TV and VCR repair, and computers are scoring successes. This is also true of those doing professional courses in Accounting (ACCA) and creative Writing. All these students have already achieved impressive marks and grades in those subjects already sat, on their way to completing their respective courses.

Over the past ten years, nearly one hundred inmates have obtained certification at different academic, professional or vocational levels, ranging from School Leaving Certification to university degrees. Over sixty of these inmates obtained School Leaving and /or O'Levels certificates, and close to thirty received certificates in vocational areas such as TV and Radio Repair, Electrical Installation, and Refrigeration. Over the last five years taken together, well over one hundred inmates have either been taught to read and write from scratch, or assisted in developing their literacy skills from near-illiteracy to that of basic, functional literacy and beyond.

Behind all these efforts and results in the education programme is the objective of the rehabilitation and preparation of inmates to be useful and productive citizens on release. Statistics show that some eighty percent (80%) of the inmates who consistently participate in the education programme remain outside of prison on release, while only twenty percent (20%) of those who do not participate remain outside

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