President Danny Faure chaired a special meeting to discuss matters regarding the Seychelles’ prison service at State House this afternoon.

The meeting finalised the details concerning the change of management on Coëtivy Island, and centred around a joint agreement between the Islands Development Company and the Seychelles Prison Service to allow inmates on the rehabilitation programme to contribute to development on the outer islands. Named ‘Project Phoenix’, the programme is being carried out by the Seychelles Prison Services and will allow up to 100 inmates from the Montagne Posée prison to be assigned on outer islands.

The inmates selected for the programme will help in the development of the outer islands, whereby they will undertake various kinds of work such as carpentry, masonry and electricals. They will also be able to earn money and support their families while they are incarcerated. More importantly, the programme is expected to assist the process of rehabilitation.

As a result of ‘Project Phoenix’, there will be fewer inmates at the Montagne Posée prison. During the meeting it was decided that a sum of SCR 7 million, previously allocated to Coëtivy Island development in the Budget, will be allocated toward the Montagne Posée prison Master Plan and used to upgrade the existing facilities of the prison.

Present for this meeting was the Minister for Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning, Mr Maurice Loustau-Lalanne; Superintendent of Prisons, Mr Raymond St Ange; Principal Secretary for Finance, Mr Damien Thesee; Special Advisor to the Police, Ms Sheryl Vengadasamy; Chief Executive Officer of Islands Development Company (IDC), Mr Glenny Savy; and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of IDC, Ms Veronique Herminie.