Prison Service Week begins

The last decade has been challenging for the Barbados Prison Service, but even in the face of those challenges the Prison Service has made significant strides for which it can be justly proud.

This is the view of Superintendent of Prisons, Lt. Col. John Nurse. He made the comments while addressing the congregation at the Beulah Methodist Church, where staff of the Prison Service and well-wishers gathered to mark the start of Prison Service Week under the theme ‘Moving Forward Together’, and the 10th Anniversary of operations at Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds.

Since starting operations at Dodds, Nurse said not only did they have to adjust to the occupation of a new prison, but they also had, in some cases, to change organisational culture, while at the same time seeking to develop and roll out strategies and business plans for the successful and smooth running of the prison. He made the comments as he noted that the last decade has also seen efforts ongoing to build a new rehabilitation model and to ensure training and development of staff.

“Suffice it to say that was not easy, however, I am happy to report we have made significant strides in attaining our organisational vision of providing a service of which the public of Barbados can be proud, and which can be regarded as a standard of excellence throughout this region,” he said.

In spite of those achievements, he warned that the next 10 years will continuing to be challenging. He stated that going forward, they will be focused even more on ensuring that those incarcerated are held in a safe and secure environment and that the Service does its part to help reduce crime in the society at large. This, he said, will be done by promoting law-abiding behaviour among persons while in custody, as they endeavour to rehabilitate and educate inmates as a process of them making ready for release.

“These challenges will only be over- come if we see ourselves as agents of positive human change and demonstrate this behaviour in all of our daily efforts. And I caution, we are not simply limiting our influence to the prisoners alone in terms of rehabilitating them… we in our activities ought to be endeavouring to make those positive human changes in anyone who comes into contact with us. Therefore, as we go about our daily duties, we are to be every mindful of our statutory duty to be positive examples for others to follow,” he said. (JRT)