Thirty-three-year-old Om Prakash Chand of Labasa has left his post as a lecturer at Fiji National University’s Technical and Further Education arm to join the Fiji Corrections Service, saying he wants to use his teaching skills to better prepare inmates for life after release. Chand, who is the only Indo-Fijian in the newest intake of corrections recruits, described the move as a deliberate step into rehabilitation work aimed at closing the gap between incarceration and meaningful reintegration.
Chand told reporters his primary objective is to impart both knowledge and practical trade skills to inmates and to upskill fellow officers so that correctional centres become places of learning as much as containment. “Many former inmates struggle to find employment after their release, often facing rejection in the workforce,” he said, explaining that this reality motivated his career change. “If we can provide them with recognized certificates, it will be easier for them to move forward and not be left behind.”
His immediate focus is on vocational training that can translate into real income or small businesses once inmates leave custody. Chand singled out agriculture as an area with strong potential inside correctional facilities, noting the availability of land at some centres and the basic farming knowledge that many inmates already possess. By introducing structured training modules and pathways to formal certification, he hopes to create clearer routes into the labour market for ex-offenders.
Chand also intends to work with corrections colleagues to embed practical, workplace-relevant instruction into daily routines. He believes that building a cadre of officers with teaching and technical skills will help sustain training programs and encourage continuity for inmates approaching release. He is actively calling on other lecturers, particularly those with expertise in agriculture, to consider similar moves into the corrections system to help build an environment more focused on rehabilitation.
The development comes as pressure grows across the justice sector to prioritise rehabilitation alongside law enforcement. Earlier calls for specialized drug courts and other rehabilitation-centred initiatives have highlighted the need for faster, more consistent pathways from sentence to treatment and employment. The Corrections Service has also faced scrutiny in recent years over incidents that exposed shortcomings in oversight and culture, including the 2025 convictions of three former prison officers in the death of an inmate—episodes that reformers say underline the urgency of cultural as well as programmatic change.
Chand’s recruitment signals a potentially important shift: bringing formal teaching experience and vocational training expertise into the corrections workforce. His aim to secure recognised qualifications for inmates would, if implemented, require collaboration with accrediting bodies and training institutions to ensure certificates are credible and portable in the job market. Chand says he plans to pursue those linkages so skills acquired in custody are recognised outside it.
For now, Chand’s move is a personal commitment to rehabilitation and a public appeal to educators to consider similar roles. Whether his presence will translate into wider systemic changes remains to be seen, but he says the priority is clear: equipping inmates with practical skills and recognised credentials that improve their chances of finding steady work and avoiding reoffending.
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