Assistant Minister for the Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation (BCR) at the Ministry of Justice, Eddie S. Tarawali, wants officers of bureau to undergo foreign training to build their capacity.
He said the BCR officers have benefited from several local training opportunities to build their capacity, but noted that it was important that they be offered international training.
Assistant Minister Tarawali made the statement recently at the close of a week-long Advanced Investigation Training for officers of the BCR’s Specialized Investigation Unit in Monrovia.
The Unit is responsible for internal investigation of its officers, jail breaks and other unwholesome activities within the prison system.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Minister has lauded the Swedish Government, Irish Aid, UNDP, and the United Nations Human Rights Commission for their support to the Government and people of Liberia in managing prison facilities in the country.
He also commended the Swedish Corrections Services for sending two of its officers, Niklas Ljungblom and Niklas Bostedt, to train BCR officers of the Specialized Investigation Unit.
Assistant Minister Tarawali challenged the officers to make maximum use of the knowledge provided them by the Swedish trainers who drilled them in basic investigative security techniques.
The Assistant Minister also encouraged them to professionally execute their duties without fear or favor.
He put the total cost of the training, including the two trainers’ expenses, at US$25,000.
The week-long training focused on Advanced Investigation, Intelligence Information in Prisons, Investigation Skills, Reporting System, Early Warning System and Prison Security, among others.
The unit comprises of eight officers – two females and six males – and was established in 2016 to conduct investigation within the Bureau of Corrections.
At the end of the training, the officers were awarded certificates qualifying them as professional investigators.
In remarks, Cllr. Nyananti Tuan, Deputy Justice Minister for Codification, lauded the BCR officers for undergoing the training and admonished them to treat all prisoners with courtesy and respect their human rights.
