The 23 inmates who sat the music exam behind the prison walls last year were honoured with a graduation ceremony by the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service where they received their certificates.

Twelve certificates of distinction and ten certificates of merit at the grade one level in music theory were handed out. The inmates were allowed to interact with their family members who were invited to the function.

Though reluctant to speak about what offence brought them to the Maximum Security Prison, a couple of the inmates who received distinctions spoke of the soothing benefits of the music programme which was started one year ago at the correctional institution.

Michael McKenna said he is feeling good about himself since joining the music programme.

"When I came here I always had intentions of doing music. I heard about it while I was in remand and now I am very happy about accomplishing this because if I was on the outside I may not have been doing it," he said.

McKenna said he has a few more years more at the maximum prison but he will further his musical education.

"Presently we are preparing for grade five. It is a lot of work but we will make it because we are all enthusiastic about it."

He said now that he is able to play music he and other inmates use it to pass the time in a positive manner.

"I have a guitar in the cell and we sit down and play music and sing," he said, adding that this helps him to keep them focused and calm.

Asha Sooklal of the women's prison, who has learnt to play the keyboard since her incarceration, said although music is her passion she never knew she would actually have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument.

"Being a part of this music programme has had a calming effect on me. It relaxes me and though I am not sure when I will be released, because I am still in remand, it is something that I would definitely pursue when I am released," she said.

Music tutor Maureen Clement agreed with the inmates that since the introduction of the programme at the prison in June 2007 positive change has been derived.

"They have learnt to work together. This was one of the biggest problems, working together and helping another man, so there has been a lot of improvement in individual skills apart from the musical skills," she said.

Clement said the programme is a rigorous one and when she first started the inmates were not prepared for hard work because they were not accustomed to it.

And so the first two weeks of the programme she had real difficulties with them but this changed as the programme progressed and today they have reaped the fruits of their hard work.

This, however, is not the end as they are working on writing the exam to attain grade five certificates in music in less than a year.

"This programme is not for everyone but I believe they can do it" because they have become a lot more disciplined, she said.