SDKK inmates with prison officials
WILLEMSTAD–St. Maarten inmates are passing on their skills and knowledge to fellow inmates housed in the Curaçao prison Sentro di Detenshon i Korekshon Kòrsou (SDKK). The skills are not nefarious. They are productive and are aimed at helping with resocialisation.
The inmates are learning to sew uniforms for SDKK personnel.
Four inmates from St. Maarten were already in a sewing training course at Pointe Blanche Prison prior to Hurricane Irma necessitating their relocation to Curaçao.
The sewing project is supervised by Carlos Gomez, who was also the sewing instructor at Pointe Blanche Prison. This exchange project is utilising expertise from both prisons because of insufficient financial possibilities. SDKK has formalized paperwork for a sewing project in 2013, but for several reasons this was never implemented in the prison.
“By giving the inmates of St. Maarten a place in this project they are helping SDKK too,” said Malvina Cecilia, SDKK Corrections Unit Head.
In October 2017, the Justice Ministers Cornelius de Weever (St. Maarten) and Quincy Girigorie (Curaçao) visited the St. Maarten inmates in SDKK who share their main worry of getting a job to support themselves.
Girigorie, who advocates for resocialization projects for all inmates, requested the SDKK management to assist the St. Maarten inmates. In May 2017, Girigorie underscored the importance of resocialization in a structural, permanent and professional way in SDKK.
The main challenge, according to prison officials, in the resocialization process is to get the inmates mentally prepared and equipped so they can have a better chance for a meaningful and durable existence as citizens in the community.
The second challenge is to change the community’s image of ex-inmates. The actual image forms an obstacle for re-integrating former prisoners as fully accepted citizens in society, said prison officials.
In March, the St. Maarten inmates in SDKK also demonstrated their positive creative skills by putting smiles on the faces of pupils of Dr. Nelly Winkel School with the colourful kites for Easter.
All SDKK prisoners were part of the kite making, but the St. Maarten quartet completed 150 kites, the most of all the other prisoners. The St. Maarten kites were sufficient to present one to each child enrolled at the school which caters to children with special challenges and needs.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/78252-st-maarten-inmates-teach-sewing-in-curacao
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