It was an amazing scene at the National Palace of Corrections in Grand Gedeh County on the 11 March as inmates sang songs and dramatized all the vocational skills they have acquired in recent years.  The occasion was a certification ceremony for 31 inmates who were trained in piggery, rabbit rearing and vegetable farming. The certificates were awarded by UNMIL Corrections Advisory Unit and the Government’s Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

 
Egg plant, bitter balls, pepper cabbage, cassava, pineapple and potatoes are among the vegetables cultivated by the inmates while the livestock consists of chicken and ducks, rabbit and pigs.

Prison Superintend Joseph Sumo told UNMIL Today that the yield of the agricultural activities at the palace goes to the inmate’s kitchen to supplement the prisoners’ Government food supplies.

Sumo said UNMIL through its Quick Impact Project and the Corrections Advisory Unit have contributed immensely towards the agricultural activities at the facility through the provision of infrastructure, agriculture inputs and professional advice. He said some non- governmental organizations have also been of immense assistance to the facility’s agricultural programmes.

Sumo said the vocational skills training is aimed at moving from a punitive approach to one of rehabilitation so that prisoners are equipped with skills for their livelihood when released from custody.