More than 260 recruits of the Department of Prisons completed their training on Saturday (18), marching out at a passing-out parade at the Prisons Training Institute grounds here.

The parade marked the end of the 13th Recruit Second-Grade Jailor course and the 105th Recruit Prison Guard course. Those who passed out were 37 jailors and five women jailors, along with 197 prison guards and 25 women prison guards.

Three recruits were named best all-round in their courses. E R Rasika Sumedha was Best All-Round Prison Guard and H Kavisha Devindi Best All-Round Woman Prison Guard in the 105th course. E R R Avishka Bandara was Best All-Round Second-Grade Jailor in the 13th course.

The ceremony included a drill display and cultural performances. Parents and relatives of the new officers attended, along with Commissioner General of Prisons Prasad Hemantha Kumara, prison commissioners, superintendents and assistant superintendents, and former commissioners.

Chief guest Harshana Nanayakkara, Minister of Justice and National Integration, told the new officers after the parade that their work goes beyond guarding and locking up inmates. He said they must also help people who have gone astray rebuild their lives, and he urged them to serve with honesty and discipline and to apply the law equally to all.

The minister said prison policy must move from punishment towards rehabilitation and reintegration. He said funds have been provided for NVQ-accredited vocational training for inmates, and that work with the private sector on jobs and self-employment has begun. He named overcrowding as a major challenge and said the President's pardon powers and related legal frameworks are under review. He added that amendments to the Community-Based Corrections Act have been proposed and that new and expanded prison facilities are planned. He also said officers must be given adequate staff, career advancement opportunities and protected welfare.