Prison rehab programme graduates 100

This weekend, a hundred inmates of the Belize Central Prison were recognised for their efforts at rehabilitation in ceremonies held by the Kolbe Foundation. News Five’s Kendra Griffith has the details.

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
On Saturday, thirteen prisoners graduated from the Inner Change for Freedom Belize programme. Directed by Jeanne Goematt, a retired American school teacher, I.F.F.B. is an eighteen month Christian programme, which equips participants with tools for positive behaviour change.

The other eighty-seven graduates received their accolades on Sunday for completing a twelve step recovery programme at the Ashcroft Rehabilitation Centre. According to Kolbe Chair, John Woods, the course is patterned off a similar initiative in Mexico.

John Woods, Chair, Kolbe Foundation
“It was a tremendous programme, holistic approach, where they talk about the physical, detox, the importance of a good diet, exercise, and then the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual aspect of this whole drug addiction problem.”

“So we finally go it all together and we started it last April, on April first, and we ran the first intake through it; I think we had about fifty people graduate. Then next one was seventy or so and this time it was eighty-seven, so we’ve run a total of two hundred and four people.”

The news out of Hattieville was not always so upbeat. When a group of citizens calling themselves the Kolbe Foundation, took over management of the prison in 2002, life behind the walls had pretty much reached rock bottom.

John Woods
“When we went in there, the food was horrible, people were sleeping on floors and they were wet floors, leaky roofs, leaky windows, no beds, and worse than that, they were being treated like animals.”

Since then, officials have being working hard to change the system using a holistic approach.

John Woods
“We took over with that mode of trying to change the mood in there, better food, better security, we had serious training with the guards, that they could become role models for the prisoners, but to treat everybody with respect. That they are human beings and they have so much potential; positive potential, you now.”

In addition to the two programmes, Kolbe also has in place craft training, computer, and P.S.E. classes. And Woods says they try to keep tabs on and provide support to the inmates after they leave Hattieville to make sure that their success inside extends outside the prison walls. Especially important are the approximately one hundred and fifty offenders on parole.

John Woods
“We have taken over the monitoring of the parole when they get out, so we are monitoring. When they come out, we check them. We have officers, cause we know these guys, we have been with them their whole time in prison.”

“Our quick response team is made up of for the people that get out that start having trouble. It’s made up of people like Father Stoechl and Miss Jean and Miss Westby, people that are gonna go out and say hey, what’s going on in your life? Do you really want to go back in there?”

And while they are working on healing minds, with over fourteen hundred prisoners, management is still faced with structural problems … problems that it is hoped will soon be a thing of the past.

John Woods
“We had some Christian groups come in and they helped us to join the Tangoes, they gave us about a hundred and twenty thousand Belize to join up the buildings, that eased it a little bit. We have turned every space into a cell now, where before there were offices or something, we have the office structure separate.”

“The Wagners have also pledged a million and a half dollars for new cells, which we are constructing now, on the condition that government match the money and we are in the process of that right now.”

Their progress so far is encouraging, but Woods says that it’s still too early to declare victory.

John Woods
“We still have people that mess up after they go through the programme, but not near the numbers that you would get if they haven’t had been through that.”

“And how long do you go before you say I’ve got this thing made? I’d be a little cautious about tooting our horn on that thing until we’ve got a longer run on it and better records on what they would follow. But I know that people are turning their lives around.”

Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.

Included in the eighty-seven graduates from the twelve step programme were two prison employees. Woods say they are also working on expanding the programme for persons outside of the prison system. To learn more, visit their website at www.Kolbe.bz.