FOR the first time as part of rehabilitation activities in correctional facilities, inmates will be able to sit Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams.

This has been made possible through the hard work of the Tower Street-based Stand Up For Jamaica initiative and the kind sponsorship of the European Union, which has been a main support behind many rehabilitation programmes of the Department of Correctional Services.

Twenty-five inmates from Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre and Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre for women were registered and are presently sitting their exams.

Stand Up For Jamaica, through funding provided by the European Union, has been able to provide teachers, materials and administrative personnel to see to the efficient running of the programme so that inmates could have completed adequate contact hours despite the restrictions associated with their incarceration.

The programme recognises that persons who are incarcerated are equally human and deserve another chance at life rather than being demonised. Stand Up For Jamaica strongly believes in rehabilitation through education and, as a result, will continue to facilitate these programmes to foster proper rehabilitation and successful reintegration.

Executive director of the programme, Maria Carla Gullotta, called upon all sectors of the society to support these programmes as they help to reduce the rate of recidivism, increase the education level of the population, provide employable ex-inmates, and ultimately reduce the crime rate. We call on the private sector and other members of the business community to support by providing equal non-discriminatory opportunity for employment of these trained ex-inmates. We call upon managers of educational Institutions and skills training agencies to help to provide higher training for ex-inmates upon release, and we call upon all Jamaicans to give ex-inmates an opportunity to be productive members of society by not discriminating.

Stand Up For Jamaica, in partnership with the European Union, will continue to facilitate support and strengthen rehabilitation programmes as we all stand for a better Jamaica.