Common Ground Page 10 - Suffolk County Sheriff's Department

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Common Ground
Sheriff Cabral, Department Welcome Tajikistani Delegation For Tour
A group of law enforcement professionals from the Country of Tajikistan recently visited the Suffolk County
Sheriff’s Department for a meeting with Sheriff Andrea J. Cabral and a tour of the House of Correction (HOC).
Arranged by The Emergence Group, an organization that “designs and
implements world class Criminal Justice Reform and Democratic Policing
programs around the world,” the tour was comprised of members of
Tajikistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, representatives from The Gharm
Development Center – a women’s programming initiative – and several
Tajikistani school instructors who visited the HOC to observe the Education
Division and learn about techniques geared towards fighting recidivism.
Upon arrival, the group sat with Sheriff Cabral for an informal conversation
exploring some of the commonalities and differences between
the American and Tajikistani legal justice and law enforcement systems.
During the exchange, members of the group inquired about a multitude of
The Tajikistani delegation toured the
Department’s Education Division
nity to acquire skills in carpentry, custodial maintenance, painting and
landscaping and obtain certification by the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA).
At the tour’s completion, members of the group gathered for pictures
with Sheriff Cabral and to reflect upon this historic occasion.
“We are very glad to have had the opportunity to come and meet
with Sheriff Cabral and learn about the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department,”
said Mehrinisso Pirmatova, Program Manager for the Bureau
of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)
of the U.S. Embassy and translator for the group. “We are especially
impressed with all of the programs that you have for rehabilitation and
the [health] care that you are able to offer.”
Tajikistan, a country that sits adjacent to Pakistan and borders China,
Sheriff Cabral visited with members
of the Tajikistani tour group
topics, including the structure of the American court system, juvenile
detention, average age of inmates, inmate programming, and more.
Following their meeting with Sheriff Cabral, HOC Superintendent
and Special Sheriff Gerard Horgan led the group on a tour of the facility,
making stops in the Ricky Dever Medical Unit, a male and female
housing unit, respectively, and the Education Division where he spoke
about the extensive programming that is made available to the inmates
and detainees in the care and custody of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s
Department. The group also spoke with Director of Vocational Education
John D’Amore about the Common Ground Institute, a vocational
program instituted by Sheriff Cabral that takes a proactive approach
to reducing recidivism by
giving inmates the opportu-
Sheriff Cabral (back ctr.) with SCSD staff
members and the Tajikistani delegation
Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, has a current population of approximately 7 million residents. Formerly
a member of the Soviet republic, Tajikistan has faced severe economic hardship since gaining its independence
from the Soviet Union in 1991 and following an intense five–year civil war, which ended in 1997.