Republic of Mauritius- Petit Verger Prison: Advocating towards self-sufficiency

The Commissioner of Prisons, Mr. Mario Nobin, made this statement, this morning, during the inauguration of a bakery at the Petit Verger Prison, in Pointe aux Sables. The Deputy Commissioner of Prisons, the Officers in charge of Penitentiary Institutions and other prison staff were present on the occasion.

Mr. Nobin highlighted that the setting up of this bakery, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and capable to producing some 2 000 breads per day, is the result of negotiations with the authorities concerned. He also thanked the Mauritius Hotel School for its current and future collaboration regarding training in the bakery and pastry sector.

In addition, the Commissioner of Prisons added that production is not the only concern of the prison staff as one of their core duties is the rehabilitation of detainees. The training offered by the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development in various fields, he said, aims to offer each prisoner the opportunity to acquire technical skills that they could use for their reintegration in society.

Speaking of his vision as Commissioner of Prisons, Mr. Nobin underlined that his priority is to ensure that each inmate can acquire training to meet his immediate need to find a job after serving his sentence. This mission, he added, must be accomplished with the full involvement of each prison officer in his respective field, as outlined in the established strategic plan for the period 2013-2023.