Agreement: Comprehensive Review Of Prisons
The Prison Officers Association and the Government signed an agreement today [Aug.26], to move forward with “an independent comprehensive review of the Department of Corrections, with the aim of producing a 5 year strategic plan.”
Attorney General and Minister of Justice Michael Scott said the review aims to address concerns and to ensure that Corrections Officers and inmates are safe and secure.
Minister Scott’s full statement follows below:
The POA body met yesterday and they accepted the terms and conditions put forwarded by the Government on moving the Bermuda Department of Corrections in a new direction. The vote was taken and it was carried unanimously. The POA is eager to get the process started and officially sign the documentation as soon as practicable.
We look forward to this new spirit of partnership with the Government. We are under no illusion that the task before us will be easy, but we are certain that through constructive dialogue we can accomplish the task at hand.”
It was with these words that Chairman of Prison Officers Association and I as Minister ended an exchange of notes, on Tuesday, verifying the agreement to the main Terms of the Government and POA Agreement paving the way forward for a change in the direction of Corrections in Bermuda.
The number one agreed to action is the immediate start of an independent comprehensive review of the Department of Corrections with the aim of producing a 5 year strategic plan to assess, clarify and direct the Department mandate with respect to all aspects of policy, leadership management, operations, infrastructure and legislative reform.”
All of which is clearly aimed at addressing current concerns, examining present trends and practices and directing Corrections along clear paths of enhanced management, security and safety across all sectors of The Department.
You will note that underlying the POA’s and the Government’s decision to reset the course and direction of Corrections are health and safety concerns conditions of work for Officers and staff of Corrections including infrastructure repairs improvements and enhancements to all Corrections facilities.
Again these measures and actions are supported by the Commissioner and his management team and are necessary so that Corrections Officers and Inmate populations are safe and secure.
Finally, as Minister I note on behalf of MOJ Team that the response to Officers demands are made in the interest of the best outcomes for the improved delivery of the mandates within Corrections. The actions announced are timely given the new paradigms that management, Officers and inmates face in the modern Corrections environment.
The objectives are targeted and will be delivered along reasonable and strategically crafted time lines adopting a phased approach where necessary. Ultimately the commitment to respond and change course is the right choice and we both welcome the POA’s assistance in completing the negotiations ending with the Agreement.
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- Prison Review To Pave Way: 5-Year Strategic Plan | Bernews.com | August 22, 2012
That is how you settle a labor dispute.. Well done.
Mr.Furbert,
Take a lesson from this intelligent and progressive method of solving a labour dispute where everybody wins.Very refreshing.
Have we not heard all of this before at least a few times????
When will the talk stop & action taken to regain control in the prisons?
The prison system needs to be done away with all together.
Col. Burch would be the best person for the Job right now, not that I have anything against Lamb, I just don’t think he should have been given this post from the start, it’s way over his head.
What a joke, here you have a Commissioner who took over the post with no prison management experience at all-ex military and bermudian doesn’t qualify you- at this stage you are having an independent review after all these years to come up with a strategic plan! In the private sector he would have been looking for a new job he may be a nice guy and good talker but that never qualified him to have that job. Minister please identify the independent reviewer(s) I hope it isn’t Col. Burch. POA you need to call a spade a spade and be honest Col Lambe has had his time. What leadership or direction has he shown you. You had problems before he joined you and now they have gotten worse because of our current climate. The independent review is needs to have clear deliverables not a lot of smoke and mirrors, you already know what your problems are and the current administration doesn’t know how to fix it. Government needs to stop being passive with these Department heads and hold them accountable!
This doesn’t mean just bring someone in either- the Police brought in Muirfield the big gang expert yet Britain acknowledged they have to seek advice from the USA on gangs. I wonder if he applied for that post. BDA Government please do your homework. No lip service please.
Mirfield isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The reasons should be obvious!
You speak like a prison officer. Are you?
No I’m not and never have been this is something that persists in several Government Departments. Poor leadership and direction.
Wasn’t Col Burch the Minister of Correctionsat one point? Why make him the Commissioner, he didn’t do anything as Minister. I am sure he was aware of the issues, they didn’t just happen. Well done Minister Scott and the POA, thats how you work together.
You are telling me that now these Prison Officer have to actually earn their wages The days of baby sitting are over and that’s what they are crying about. Are you kidding me? They now have to deal with genuine criminals..OMG!! And also infrastructure repairs improvements and enhancements that crap should’ve been done on an on going basis..What the hell has this government been doing all these years..Who the Hell is sleeping at the wheel? Bermuda is truly another world. SMH!
Lets have that guy who runs a tent prison in the Arizona desert. Think he could turn if from a holiday camp to a prison of misery?
Funny you talk of Col Burch, he was the Minister when Lamb was hired as the Commissioner, what you might want to do is ask who ele applied then and why someone else was not chosen.
And knowing Lambe’s political affiliations , it would be interesting to know who else applied and wasn’t hired .. maybe
It’s called JOBS for the BOYS, Lamb, Burch, Telemaque, the Dills, Brangman, Campbell, etc, etc, etc.
Your list is comprised of the most efficient, hardest-working and most tuned-in workers in Government. If that’s what “jobs for the boys” gets us, i’ll take the soldiers any day.
Maybe your meaning of efficient is different from mine.
Congratulations to all involved and concerned……..Restructuring and the approach to the Prison Structure of Bermuda Prison System has been long overdue.Prisoner safety and the Officers safety is of primary concern…..some of them will spend a lifetime together in the same Prison together .During the 1960′s -1970 problems and riots etc…..one prisoner taunted an officer saying ” I’ll be outta here in months after I do my time ,,,but you will be in here doing life…we are both in the same prison.! The officer in this case said it bothered him and he remembered that comment for the rest of his career…! The Prisons officers concerns must be priority and taken seriously.There has to be a clear distinction between prisoner and Prison Officer.Mean and unsympathetic comments on this matter by members of the public do not help the situation…. .walk a mile in an Indian’s sandals before you stick a feather in your cap and call yourself a big chief know it all.! Use the best professional expertise on these matters in the interest of a better safer Bermuda for us all..! Proud to be a Bermudian….!
Prison Office:- You’ll be back.
Offender:- Says who..
Prison Officer:- Because your an a*s and thats why I spend my life trying to get your a*s straight…….(interuption…(*&^^ can I have a glass of juice…………..)
Irony is a b!tch………………………………………………..
When the Prison Officers were considering industrial action, so many people on this blog made many negative comments, now that all parties came to an agreement to move forward, where are the comments. People just like anything negative, nothing positive. Well done Minister Scott and the POA. I just have one question though, isn’t these changes something your management should have been fighting for? Hmmm…makes you wonder what they are getting paid to do.
@ Lisa Jones: I agree with you. All the negative personal commentary quickly becomes old and boring. I would like to see this island and all its various departments and ministries work, and work well, setting an example for the private sector. That may be, and probably is, supremely idealistic, but I believe in speaking what I want, and not what I don’t want. Whatever we give energy to, whether negative or positive, flourishes.
I am actually at the stage where I don’t really care which political party has the majority, as long as the Government works for the benefit of us all (or at least most of us).