NEWS FEATURE- From Custody to Second Chances: Rebuilding Lives at Petit Verger Prison

At Petit Verger Prison, rehabilitation is helping turn time spent behind bars into an opportunity to learn, rebuild and prepare for a new beginning.

Behind the walls of Petit Verger Prison, a different kind of work is taking place every day. Alongside its custodial obligations, the institution is providing detainees with opportunities to learn trades, acquire practical skills, develop discipline and prepare for their return to society.

The philosophy is simple: imprisonment is not only about custody. It can also be a period during which individuals acquire the tools, confidence and sense of responsibility needed to rebuild their lives. Rehabilitation and reintegration therefore form an important part of the correctional approach at Petit Verger Prison.

Learning skills, creating purpose

The 22-acre medium-security institution at Pointe aux Sables, which became operational in 1982, has an accommodation capacity for about 265 detainees. Its mission is to provide vocational and professional training in areas ranging from agriculture and poultry farming to tailoring, bakery, pastry, composting and metal-related activities.

One of the most visible examples is agricultural production, where around 30 detainees are trained in vegetable cultivation. Potatoes and onions are among the main crops. Some 17 tonnes of vegetables were harvested last year. For those involved, the activity offers more than practical agricultural knowledge: it is an opportunity to work as part of a team, follow routines and see the tangible results of their efforts.

The Compost Unit similarly combines skills development with environmental responsibility. Established in 2014, the project involves the collection of green waste from the Pointe aux Sables community and its transformation into compost. Some two tonnes were produced last year. Detainees are trained in compost preparation and the finished product is packed into bags for sale to the public and Prison staff.

The project also carries a broader message: rehabilitation can trigger a connection between detainees, the environment and the community.

From a sewing machine to a profession

The Tailor Workshop, established in 1989, was created with a clear purpose — to help detainees learn a trade that could enable them to earn an honest living after their release. The workshop produces a range of items required within the correctional system, including uniforms, towels and bedsheets.

Similarly, the Pastry Unit provides vocational training under the aegis of the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD), with training conducted under qualified supervision and in partnership with Sir Gaëtan Duval Hotel School. The programme seeks to increase employment opportunities after release. An achievement worth highlighting is that one detainee trainee obtained first place at national level in 2017–2018. Training also places emphasis on behaviour, attitude, hygiene and communication skills — qualities that are essential beyond the prison environment.

The dignity of productive work

Perhaps one of the most striking examples of the scale of these activities is the Bakery Unit. The unit produces bread for the Grand River North West Remand Prison and Richelieu Open Prison. Some 3,000 loaves are produced daily, with approximately 993,000 loaves produced last year.

Agriculture and poultry farming provide further opportunities for practical learning. The poultry farm comprises four sheds, each accommodating 2,000 birds, and produces about 40 tonnes of broilers annually. Beyond contributing to the food requirements of penal institutions, the activity provides detainees with training and skills in poultry farming.

The Tremplin Training Centre, established in 2000, complements these initiatives by offering MITD courses designed to equip detainees with technical skills for their eventual reintegration. Practical examinations in areas such as Welding at National Certificate Level 3 are conducted at the prison itself.

A public-private partnership with the CIEL Group has also introduced tile-making training. This Unit currently has a production capacity of 270 tiles per day, with nine detainees receiving training.

Rehabilitation goes beyond vocational skills

Learning a trade is only one part of the journey. Preparing someone to return to society also means addressing personal, behavioural and social challenges. This is the purpose of the Petit Verger Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre, launched in December 2025.

The Centre provides a six-month therapeutic programme aimed at drug-user rehabilitation, reducing recidivism and supporting reintegration. Its programmes include addiction treatment, counselling, behavioural and inner-change therapies, personal development and life-skills training. Participants can also be referred to NGOs for continued support following release from prison.

The Centre has an accommodation capacity for 50 detainees. Participation is subject to specific criteria, including having at least seven months remaining on completion of a sentence, no pending court cases or outstanding legal matters, a history of drug dependence or substance-related offending, good institutional conduct and a willingness to participate actively in rehabilitation programmes.

Its work reflects an important understanding of reintegration process: preparing for release is not simply about leaving the prison walls. It involves developing the ability to cope with responsibilities, make constructive choices and reconnect with life in the community.

A network of support

Rehabilitation cannot be achieved by the prison service alone. The programme brings together government organisations, health services and NGOs, including the AIDS Unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Prison Medical Care, Association Kinouete, Not a Number, Group Elan and Abhyas School of Yoga.

Such collaboration helps create a continuum of support — from custody, through rehabilitation, to life after release.

Preparing for a different future

Each loaf of bread baked, each vegetable harvested, each garment sewn, each tile produced and skill acquired represents an opportunity to nurture discipline, responsibility and confidence.

The rehabilitation and reintegration programmes at Petit Verger Prison illustrate an evolving correctional approach in which security and custody are complemented by education, vocational training, personal development and preparation for release.

The Petit Verger Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre Pilot Project is viewed as a step towards a modern correctional service focused on rehabilitation, reintegration and public safety.

Ultimately, rehabilitation is about what happens after the sentence — whether a person can return to the community with a skill, a renewed sense of purpose and the confidence to make different choices.

The work of preparing for that second chance begins long before the prison gates open at Petit Verger.

25 September 2026

Email: gis@govmu.org

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Topics: Prison, Rehabilitation