Minister for Police and National Security, Issac Inoke, said during the closing of the Pacific Corrections Conference that he is committed to the vision of a modern correctional service.
The dinner brought to a close a week of interaction between the heads of Pacific Corrections Services, sharing each other's challenges of providing a safe and secure rehabilitation environment for prisoners.Minister Inoke said the sharing of experiences in prison and prisoner management was essential to developing modern corrections systems in the region.
Mr Inoke said that a highlight of the Conference was the resolution for the formation of a Heads of the Pacific Islands Correctional Conference Group, which is a major development. Mr Inoke said that this group will strengthen the ability of regional countries to share ideas and develop new approaches in the future.
RAMSI Special Coordinator, Tim George, who spoke at the conference's closing dinner, invited Pacific Island countries to send more people to work with the Regional Assistance Mission. Mr George told the audience, drawn from 13 Pacific Island countries, that Pacific Islanders are already performing valuable roles in many areas of the mission.
He said the mission would also welcome participation by corrections officers from Pacific Island countries. Mr George said corrections services across the region face many common challenges such as managing special groups of offenders like women, children, or people living with HIV/AIDS, building a professional workforce and developing effective prisoner rehabilitation strategies.
He said Solomon Islands, in partnership with the Regional Assistance Mission, have a good story to tell in this regards.