Happiness for the “Spice of the Caribbean”
Grenada—known as the “Spice of the Caribbean”—is a beautiful island of just over 107,000 people and one of the world’s largest exporters of nutmeg and mace crops. While the island has one of the lowest murder rates in the Caribbean, it is also a thoroughfare for drug trafficking and has one of the highest drug-related crime rates in the area.
A native of Grenada who now lives in Canada, Dr. Sheridan Cyrus, a dentist, wanted to give back to his homeland. In late 2018, he facilitated the organization of a free dental clinic and treated about 280 children in need. Each child left the office with dental supplies and a The Way to Happiness (TWTH) booklet.
While in Grenada, Dr. Cyrus and his friends approached Her Majesty’s Prison, the country’s one correctional institution. After meeting with the Prison Commissioner and Superintendent, he was given the green light to deliver The Way to Happiness as part of their existing rehabilitation program. The program teaches the inmates valuable vocational and life skills, giving them tools they need to be successfully employed once released. While 80 percent of inmates do not return to prison, the directors wanted to address the 20 percent who had reoffended and were sent back to prison.
“The person who ran the program told me that he discovered the reason 20 percent were returning,” says Dr. Cyrus. “He realized he was not implementing any ethics program for them. He was teaching them how to read and write, and training them in job skills such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, agriculture, etc., but he wasn’t teaching them anything that would improve their personal ethics. So he saw that the ones who returned had been made into ‘well-educated criminals’ while they were in prison,” Dr. Cyrus said. The Way to Happiness was the right program to fill that void, and it became an integral part of the rehab program.
Next they delivered to officers at the prison—about 90 in all. Further, to help the prison staff apply Precept 17 of TWTH, “Be Competent,” Dr. Cyrus brought into the prison two correctional officers from Ontario, Canada, who carried out specialist training with the prison staff, greatly improving their skills in caring for and managing their inmates.
After the success of The Way to Happiness program in the prison, the Police Commissioner learned about The Way to Happiness campaign and requested training for his own officers.
After the success of The Way to Happiness program in the prison, the Police Commissioner learned about The Way to Happiness campaign and requested training for his own officers.
Dr. Cyrus explains, “Grenada intercepts more drugs than any other Caribbean island. So his concern is that he wants to keep his police force honest. With that amount of drugs passing through the island, he has to ensure the integrity of the police force not only remains intact but is strengthened.”
Dr. Cyrus and team therefore first delivered to the senior law enforcement officials for the island. Then they delivered to officials of the police, immigration, coast guard, fire services and special services unit for the southern part of the island. Next they trained the officers for the eastern and western regions, ultimately reaching officials covering every part of Grenada—some 160 police officials in all.
The Prime Minister of Grenada congratulated Dr. Cyrus and his team for their work, saying, “Please accept my best wishes for a long and fruitful collaboration with Her Majesty’s Prison and the Government of Grenada.”
RESTORE TRUST & HONESTY
The Way to Happiness Foundation International works to reverse the moral decay of society by restoring trust and honesty through widespread distribution of the 21 precepts. Donations support production and distribution of The Way to Happiness booklet and curriculum material.
