History Made: Tongan Prison Officers Graduate in Fiji
Three Tongan prison officers have made history overseas, marking a quiet but important turning point for Tonga’s correctional system.
On 9 December 2025, the officers graduated with a Certificate Level 05 in Correctional Management from Fiji National University after completing the Fiji Corrections Service’s Basic Recruit Course No. 1/24. They are the first prison officers from Tonga to receive formal, accredited training focused specifically on modern prison management, discipline and rehabilitation.
The graduates are Recruit Prison Officer Tonga Fakaofo, Recruit Prison Officer Taise Manu’atu and Recruit Prison Officer Mele Stewart. Fakaofo was recognised as Best in Physical Training, while Manu’atu and Stewart completed the same demanding programme, reflecting the increasing role of women in frontline correctional work.
The training was delivered by the Fiji Corrections Service and made possible through a Cabinet-approved agreement between Tonga and Fiji. The programme also involved His Majesty’s Prisons, Tonga Police and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, highlighting growing regional cooperation on justice and law enforcement.
Tonga is the first Pacific correctional service to take part in Fiji’s basic recruit training, a move seen as a step towards lifting professional standards and strengthening public safety at home. The course places strong emphasis on rehabilitation and prisoner management, rather than punishment alone, reflecting a broader shift in how correctional systems across the region are being reshaped.
For Tonga, the graduation signals more than three certificates. It marks the start of a pathway toward a more professional, structured and rehabilitation-focused prison service, built through regional partnerships rather than going it alone.
For the three officers, it is a personal milestone. For the country, it is a sign that change in the justice system is underway — quietly, methodically, and with eyes firmly on long-term reform.
