Republic of Mauritius- Mauritius Prison Service recruits fifty-five Temporary Prisons Officers

The new recruits will undergo a six-month intensive training at the Prison Training School and will be exposed to basic prison duties and drills. The training will cover topics such as human rights, first aid, response to emergencies, prevention of suicide and self-harm, self-defense, customer care, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, communication skills, and listening and counselling techniques.

In his address, Mr Appadoo congratulated the temporary Prison Officers for embracing the profession of a Prisons Officer which according to him is a noble one. He underlined that the job of Prisons Officer requires high standard of discipline, honesty, moral integrity, commitment and be in the frontline to uphold law and order. The new recruits, he emphasised, need to demonstrate dedication during their training and cultivate a sense of belonging which in turn will help them achieve great heights throughout their career.

He also cautioned the trainees to perform their duties with utmost faith, integrity and due diligence and added that any misconduct or trespassing on their part will result in their dismissal from the MPS. The Commissioner of Prisons urged the temporary Prison Officers to shoulder their responsibilities as well as to be vigilant and daring in performing their duties since they will be serving the community in the different prisons of Mauritius.

As regard training, he underlined, that it is an integral part of the professional world and that the trainees will be provided with a comprehensive training with all necessary facilities to empower them to cope with the exigencies of the service and deliver services to the public in the most efficient and effective manner.

Furthermore, Mr Appadoo highlighted that the East African Community and the Indian Ocean Commission in collaboration with the MPS will organise, in April 2019, an international colloque on advance training on criminal analysis. The objective is to turn the MPS into a centre of excellence with security at its topmost priority, he said.  

Speaking about the MPS, the Commissioner of Prisons underlined that the MPS is implementing several measures to modernise its Service and come up with more stringent laws so as to rehabilitate convicts and transform them into responsible citizens when they reintegrate the society.  

On the occasion, a hotline 135, which will be operational on a 24-hour basis, was launched so that the public can report cases of trespassing of objects in the MPS.