Minister John Tuhaika urges stronger CSSI leadership, accountability and rehabilitation under its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan.
Minister of Police, National Security and Correctional Services, John Tuhaika Jr., has called on the Correctional Service of Solomon Islands (CSSI) to strengthen leadership, accountability and rehabilitation as the Service works towards implementing its new Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
The Minister made the call when he officially opened the CSSI 20th Senior Managers Strategic Planning Conference 2026 in Honiara, held under the theme, “Reflect, Reform and Realign – Strengthening Our Strategic Directions and Business Priorities” this week.
The five-day conference brings together senior managers, commandants and officers of CSSI to review the Service’s progress, identify areas requiring change and strengthen its strategic direction for the years ahead.
Minister Tuhaika acknowledged the leadership, senior management and officers of CSSI for their continued dedication in carrying out their responsibilities in a demanding and complex environment. He also recognised the support of development partners, particularly the Australian Government through the Australia–Solomon Islands Partnership for Justice, in strengthening Solomon Islands’ correctional system.
The Minister emphasised that CSSI is an integral part of the country’s criminal justice system and that its responsibility extends beyond providing safe, secure and humane custodial environments.
He said the Service must also create meaningful opportunities for the rehabilitation, reform and reintegration of persons in custody so they can return to their families and communities as responsible and productive citizens.
Addressing the conference theme, Minister Tuhaika highlighted the importance of reflection, reform and realignment in strengthening the effectiveness of CSSI.
He said reflection should not simply involve looking back, but should provide an opportunity for the Service to learn from its achievements and challenges, with decisions informed by evidence, experience and the realities faced by correctional officers and people within correctional facilities.
On reform, the Minister stressed that a modern correctional service must extend beyond physical custody and security. Rehabilitation must remain at the heart of CSSI’s correctional philosophy, with the Service having a wider responsibility to restore and prepare people for constructive reintegration into their families and communities.
He further called for CSSI’s programmes, resources, workforce and organisational structures to be aligned with its strategic priorities and goals. This, he said, would require CSSI to operate as one Service with a shared understanding of its direction and a clear focus on delivering results.
Minister Tuhaika said effective implementation of the Strategic Plan would depend heavily on the quality of leadership within CSSI.
He challenged senior managers to lead by example through integrity, professionalism, discipline and accountability, emphasising that accountability should not only mean being answerable when something goes wrong, but also taking ownership for delivering results.
He encouraged managers to clearly identify their responsibilities, the results expected of them and how success would be measured.
The Minister also placed strong emphasis on the importance of CSSI’s workforce, describing its officers as the Service’s greatest asset.
He called for continued investment in professional development, leadership, specialised correctional skills and the wellbeing of officers, noting that a professional correctional service requires personnel who understand not only how to maintain security and order, but also how their work contributes to rehabilitation, reintegration and public safety.
Minister Tuhaika commended CSSI’s senior management for preparing the ground for the launch of the CSSI Strategic Plan 2026–2030, while stressing that the launch of the plan should not be regarded as the conclusion of the planning process.
Instead, he said, it must mark the beginning of implementation.
The Minister called on CSSI to translate its strategic priorities into annual work plans, budgets, programmes and measurable results, with clear responsibilities and effective monitoring of progress. He also stressed the need for CSSI to remain adaptable as circumstances change.
As the Minister responsible for Police and Correctional Services, Hon. Tuhaika reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening Solomon Islands’ correctional system, with greater emphasis on rehabilitation, restorative approaches, reintegration and reducing reoffending.
He said the Government would continue supporting CSSI within available resources while recognising the important contribution of development partners. At the same time, he stressed that the use of public resources carries a responsibility to demonstrate discipline, value for money and meaningful results.
Minister Tuhaika challenged CSSI’s senior managers and workforce to use the five-day conference to reflect honestly, reform courageously and realign decisively around the priorities that matter most.
He said the success of CSSI should ultimately be measured not only by what happens within correctional facilities, but by the safer communities and better citizens that emerge beyond the prison gate.
The Minister concluded by expressing the Government’s confidence in the leadership and workforce of CSSI and encouraged the Service to carry that confidence forward as it plans and implements the CSSI Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
He then officially declared the CSSI 20th Senior Managers Strategic Planning Conference 2026 open.
-MPNSCS Press
