PM James Marape gurantees support for Corrections Services
Papua New Guinea Correctional Services in a recent parade at Bomana.
(Picture by Angela Vavar. )
BY ANGELA VAVAR
PORT MORESBY: PRIME Minister James Marape has guaranteed support for the Papua New Guinea Correctional Services (CS) and emphasised the crucial role CS plays in the Judiciary.
“It is important that the institution is given the support it deserves as the work of the court systems and other law and order agencies work would be in vain if the prison facilities and rehabilitation programmes attached to them are not in good order,” Marape said.
On 21 April,2025, during Easter, Marape paid a visit to the Bomana correctional facility. In his keynote speech, Marape responded to certain issues that affected the operations of the CIS.
Correctional Services Acting Commissioner Bernard Nepo Nepos’s call for the Parole process to be sped up to convicted prisoners who have served more than half their terms in prison and qualify the process was acknowledged by Marape and he pledged to take appropriate action.
Marape reiterated that he would take the issue to the Justice Department to look into.
Correctional Services Acting Commissioner Bernard Nepo reiterated on the ongoing legacy issues of ailing prison infrastructure, prison welfare, staff welfare and accommodation, technical services, training facilities, overcrowding, food supplies and power issues, however, stated his administration was working according to an internal budget and it was under control.
“Parole can be a valuable tool in controlling prison overcrowding by allowing eligible inmates to serve part of their sentence in the community under supervision and support. This helps reduce the prison population and provides a supervised transition back into the society for the parolee and better management of detainees and prison facilities. There is a need to control the current prison population to ensure sufficient food ration and other services are given to prisoners,” the Acting Commissioner said.
Nepo pointed out that one critical area that needed to be addressed was for the rehabilitation of prisoners to be on-going as this would aide in the Parole Process to qualified prisoners and by the judiciary process.
“Yes, we cannot deny that we have problems with detainee’s food rations, power supply and other issues which is on-going, but these are manageable and we are handling it,” said Nepo.
ENDS
