(BOP) From June 22 to 26, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) conducted a comprehensive corrections training program in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The initiative was supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). This effort is part of a continuing U.S. initiative to strengthen law enforcement cooperation and enhance security throughout the Indo Pacific.
The BOP instructional team included Staff Training Academy Director Stan Rush, Supervisory Training Instructor Eric Wisneski, and Training Instructor Tommy Howard. They provided intensive training to personnel from the Papua New Guinea Correctional Service and partner law enforcement agencies. The curriculum focused on internationally recognized correctional practices and officer safety. Participants strengthened skills in self defense, use of force, escort procedures, ambulatory restraints, inmate searches, mail handling, critical thinking, decision making, situational assessment, routine orders and requests, and disturbance control.
Through a combination of classroom instruction, practical drills, and scenario based exercises, officers developed stronger capabilities to maintain institutional security, respond to critical incidents, and apply professional corrections standards that support safe, orderly operations within their facilities.
In addition to building technical skills, the mission helped reinforce cooperation between the United States and Papua New Guinea. By investing in professional development and institutional capacity building, the BOP supports long term regional efforts to strengthen correctional operations, reinforce the rule of law, and cultivate a capable and resilient corrections workforce.
At the conclusion of the training, the BOP team conducted a site visit to Bomana Prison. The visit provided firsthand insight into the operational realities and challenges faced by the Papua New Guinea Correctional Service. Bomana Prison, previously featured in the documentary series World’s Most Dangerous Prisons, highlighted the importance of continued international collaboration and professional corrections training to improve safety, security, and correctional practices.
This mission reflects the BOP commitment to sharing expertise, strengthening global partnerships, and supporting safer and more effective correctional institutions around the world.