Desmond Green
THE REVERENCE for Life programme run by psychologist Desmond Green has caught the attention of technology experts from Harvard University in the United States, who have declared the rehabilitation programme run in the island's prisons to be a prime example of how technology can be used to create social change.
Camella Rhone, director- general in the Ministry of Commerce, Science and Technology, initiated the contact which resulted in the award of a fellowship to programme co-ordinator Desmond Green, among others, and the provision of computers to expand the rehabilitation programme in the prisons.
National IT strategy
Ms. Rhone told Outlook that Reverence for Life was chosen as, "we were looking for ways in which to articulate a national IT strategy so that communities could benefit the in short and long term. When we were looking at communities which needed to be enabled by IT (which can be used to increase efficiencies, to teach, train, etc.) we looked at communities which were marginalised, including the Correctional Services.
"There are a lot of bright and creative persons who for one reason or another found themselves incarcerated," she said.
In the prisons, Reverence for Life was just one of several rehabilitation efforts. But, the Ministry needed one which was, "flexible enough to take on board our concept involving the use of IT," said Mrs. Rhone.
On one occasion when the Ministry visited, one of inmates (called team mates by Reverence for Life), in speaking of his experiences, said that he would never do anything to jeopardise the trust placed in him by those who ran the programme.
He said he wished there was some way to capture the feeling of freedom every day of his life, so it could make his days in prison better.
Camella Rhone immediately knew that IT would facilitate inmates desire. "There is one technology that can reach beyond walls to make us feel connected, make our lives better, give information so that we can in fact become better citizens, becoming that much more valuable to society. It is information technology," Mrs. Rhone told Outlook.
"Reaching beyond borders is what brought Harvard into the process," the director-general also disclosed.
Harvard Professor Charles Nesson, of the University's Justice division, was a part of the team which came to initiate a number of projects, including the one proposed by Camella Rhone for the prisons.
The project has seen the establishment of four fully-operational 20-seat computer labs at Tower Street, South Camp Road, Fort Augusta and St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centres. Funding for the project was through the Intech programme, with the Government contributing $3 million.
Punishment enough
"The Department of Corrections was very supportive," recalls Mrs. Rhone. She was pleased. "I don't think we understand that for prisoners, it is punishment enough to be locked away, that we do not have to continue punishing.
"Indeed, the purpose of getting him away from society is to help him to reflect and change behaviour. Anything we could do to support rehabilitation process will encourage this."
- Avia Ustanny
