Open Campus British Overseas Territories. Friday, August 13, 2021 —The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Open Campus has entered into a formal partnership with Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service (HMCIPS) through the establishing of an Agreement to deliver education and skills training to inmates. As part of the agreement The UWI Open Campus will also focus on building the educational capacity of Education Officers to ensure robust support of the training initiatives within the facilities. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the Government Administration Building, Grand Cayman on August 12, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.
The collaboration was spearheaded by The UWI Open Campus, Cayman Islands with the support of the British Overseas Territories (BOTS) team. This partnership is regarded as a pioneering initiative for the Caribbean, as it is the first time that a recognised university/institution of higher learning has formalized a partnership arrangement with a Prison; aimed to prevent recidivism. The central thrust is to develop a sense of entrepreneurship where the educational programmes will seek to empower, inspire hope, and create the kind of resilience required to overcome the social and economic challenges experienced by many leaving the Prison.
Interim Principal of The UWI Open Campus, Dr Francis O. Severin in commenting on the partnership noted, “The UWI Open Campus is not only delighted, but also thrilled to be part of this initiative and partnership which will ultimately redound to the benefit of the entire society. Such educational interventions that engage and empower ‘ordinary’ people and those who have sometimes unfortunately found themselves on the periphery of society, are a fundamental part of what drive us as an educational institution. This is authentic activism and we commend the HMCIPS for partnering with us.”
The Director of Prisons, Mr Steven Barrett, stated “On behalf of the Prison Service and the Ministry of Home Affairs, I am extremely pleased that my rehabilitation team has managed to formalise our partnership with The UWI through this Agreement. This collaboration will significantly modernize and extend the portfolio of educational programmes on offer to those in our custody. The Government has made a commitment through its Broad Outcomes to improve education to promote lifelong learning and greater economic mobility; this partnership is a tangible step along this journey.”
Dr Fleming-Banks, Manager, British Overseas Territories (BOTs) and Dr Beverly Shirley, Programme Officer who is located in the Cayman Islands and is responsible for the design, development and delivery of academic programmes across the BOTs, noted, “We in The UWI Open Campus British Overseas Territories are truly excited about the future of this initiative and its capacity to raise the skills and abilities of inmates, increase their employability and improve social integration within the communities of the Cayman Islands. We intend to partner with the Prisons across the BOTs to implement a similar initiative.” This project supports the wider Mission of The UWI Open Campus in that it fosters innovation for the positive transformation of the Caribbean and the wider world.
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About Her Majesty's Cayman Islands Prison Service
Her Majesty's Cayman Islands Prison Service was opened in 1982 to secure persons committed to serve prison time by the Cayman Islands Judiciary. The Prison Service plays a key role in keeping the citizens of the Cayman Islands safe. In addition to public safety, the Prison Service is also committed to providing opportunities for all inmates to rehabilitate themselves, improving their chances of a positive life after release.
About The UWI
The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.
From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.
Ranked among the top universities in the world, by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education, The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists. In 2020, it earned ‘Triple 1st’ rankings—topping the Caribbean; and in the top in the tables for Latin America and the Caribbean, and global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old). The UWI is also featured among the top universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.
For more, visit www.uwi.edu.
(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)
