Announcing the initiative during a community clean-up exercise by workers of the National Programme for the Upkeep of Public Spaces (NPUPS) in Tunapuna yesterday, Alexander said inmates serving hard labour sentences would once again be deployed to assist in maintaining public spaces, arguing that the current system does not reflect the true meaning of hard labour. He said, “You know what is hard labour in the jail right now? A man smoking, on his phone and on the internet and all these things, that’s not hard labour.” Scantlebury said inmates selected for any public work programme would undergo careful assessments before being approved. Properly structured work programmes can help inmates develop practical skills, foster discipline, and better prepare them for successful reintegration into society.