Fourteen inmates at the Belle Isle Correctional Facility have graduated from the first phase of a course in Animal Husbandry and Livestock.
The Course, which ran for 4 months, involved training in Animal Husbandry and Farm Management of Rabbits, Pigs and Ruminant Enterprises. It also focused on control and cost of production and marketing.
The programme started as an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry and Fisheries and was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security. The sessions were facilitated by Dr. Colleen Phillips of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Speaking at the Graduation Ceremony which was held at the Belle Isle Correctional Facility, earlier this month, Dr. Phillips said that the Programme was conceptualized late last year, to train the detainees to farm and generate income.
She said this would ensure that they are equipped to provide for themselves and develop viable farms upon the completion of their prison sentence.
