The Programmes and Industry Department sits at the core of the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service’s mission and mandate as it deals specifically with the internal opportunities provided to offenders to aid in reformation.

This Department manages developmental interventions and efficiently provides services which target the criminogenic needs of offenders. It caters to academic studies, technical and vocational training, religious intercession, sporting activities, pre-release and life-skills training programmes. Over time, a model for proper coordination and management as a group of related projects was developed and the functions of the department have expanded. With over one hundred Officers assigned, this department has strong roots in the Restorative Justice Policy of the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service.

The Restorative Justice Philosophy is driven by a penal policy which mandates the prison system to link offenders with skills, resources and opportunities that will enable them to successfully return to society. In such a policy, teamwork amongst staff, between staff and inmates, between staff and community volunteers, as well as other stakeholders is extremely important, as it is speaks directly to the reintegration aspect of the Prison Service’s strategic objectives.