President of the Prison Officers’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Gerard Gordon, has published a statement on social media addressing what he describes as one of the most misunderstood aspects of modern corrections: prison labour.

Mr Gordon argues that public discussion around inmates assisting with agriculture, road maintenance, environmental projects or public works often becomes polarised with some viewing it as exploitation and others insisting prisoners should simply “work to repay society.”

“The truth is far more nuanced,” Gordon writes, noting that international law does not prohibit prison labour. He points to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, commonly known as the Mandela Rules and correctional systems across the democratic world as recognising that properly managed prison work is an important part of rehabilitation.