Inmates Complete Church Restoration Work
Earlier today [Dec 9] the Minister of Public Safety Michael Dunkley highlighted the recent restoration works to the Grace Methodist Church which were completed by inmates from the Ferry Reach Prison Farm facility.
Over the past four months, the more than 100-year-old North Shore church had extensive renovations done, which included refurbished pews and walls and a completely reconstructed wooden floor. Eight to 12 inmates from the east end correctional facility conducted works which ranged from carpentry to masonry to painting.
Minister Dunkley with Grace Church representatives, Corrections officials and inmates:
Minister Dunkley, who commended the inmates’ efforts, said, “We recognise the fact that our Island has its share of challenges, but, we also recognise that we can cure our challenges by working together, and this community service project is one such example of coming together for a worthwhile cause.
“I am especially heartened because Grace Methodist Church is steeped in more than 100 years of history – and this is the type of community involvement that we feel that our inmates can benefit from.”
Commissioner of Corrections, Col. Edward Lamb added, “This venture represents another opportunity for the Department of Corrections to give back to the community.
“We have inmates, both men and women, who have tremendous talent and what you see today is a result of that hard work and talent. Each of them brought different skills to this project and this is what can happen when we work together to give back to the community.”
Minister with Commissioner Lamb, Dr. Gerard Bean and Grace Methodist Church Pastor, D’Wain Wales:
And in a letter of thanks to Commissioner Lamb, Dr. Gerard Bean, Chairman of Grace Methodist Church’s Sanctuary, Parsonage and Grounds Committee expressed his appreciation, saying, “Our most sincere and heartfelt thanks for the expert and professional manner that your entire team employed in carrying out the works at the church.
“Without the Department of Corrections’ assistance these manifestly, necessary and critical renovations would not have been possible. We at Grace Methodist Church are aware that it was a ‘team’ that worked on the church and we are also conscious of the fact that this exercise was an integral part of rehabilitation programme for the inmates.”
This is fantastic! Glad to see them give something back to the community! I hope to see more of this in the future. Thank you Michael Dunkley!
the railway trail ought to be next! start in DOckyard, and work their way down to st davids battery!
they used to do the railway before
Mike is doing more things then the Premier and he has a team of 5 people working for him………DAMM
now put the rest of these prisoners to work…hard labour!
Especially the young offenders. They lack a sense of community and how to give back.
Great job guys, you can look at that church in the future and be proud that YOU did that restoration work. Keep up the good work.
taking moreeee jobs from honest hardworking Bermudians…way to go.
^^^^^ I knew that comment was coming
What a bone head thing to say !
Yup bone head isn’t the word!!
people I was just joking. I mean every post on here has to have at least one comment either blaming expats or the government, racism, or weed being illegal so I thought I’d just keep up the trend.
They should have been doing this a long time ago! I agree they need to fix the railway trails and anything else around Bermuda that needs fixing…Its cost the government thousands of dollars a year to have a prisoner in Jail. The last I checked it was roughly 80 thousand dollars per inmate; per year. Therefore a prisoner is not exactly cheap labour; so for the money government spends to house/feed and insure these inmates; their work is long over due. Get back Work!
Well done mike, you are now in the good graces of those northshore folk you neglected when you were a member of the upb, way to go mate.
Simply brilliant.
The men and women should get more chances to demonstrate their skills, in preparation for their release.
Well done all!!
I do not live in Bermuda, however I think whoever does work to keep any place looking nice is worth some respect. I have been to Bermuda many times over the years, it is a Beautiful Place. I always admired how clean, bright and welcome it was. Personally, I did not know that this was the way the island was kept clean. And I do hope for the people living there, that they don’t end up thinking that it’s a prisoners job to keep the island clean. It’s everyones responsibility to keep it clean, native as well as visitor. Just like everywhere else tho, some people think it is someone else’s job.
Well said
Agree with you. It should not be necessary for cleaning up to be anyones job. People should clean up after themselves. Unfortunately in Bermuda there are plenty who think that the whole Island is their trash can & drop anything anywhere they please.
Wish there were a way to eliminate that mentality. Littering laws are not enforced. Even if they were the fines are miniscule compared to most US states. No such thing as litterers doing community service as road gangs picking up trash.
Thank you for your compliment, Saul Raikis, that you thought Bermuda was so clean. Bermuda is kept litter-free mainly by volunteers. Those people who voluntarily put their trash in the bin where it belongs, those who pick up other people’s litter when they see litter, and the thousands of residents who volunteer for Keep Bermuda Beautiful, a charity that encourages all individuals to take the responsibility to keep our Island clean and litter-free with cleanup activities and education. In recent years there has been talk of having prisoners help pick up litter, as they did in the past. This would be a good move.
keep Alvon up west he may run again lol
So nice to see inmates doing something positive. Participation in work like this should earn them shortened sentences. Plenty more they could do starting with beach cleaning, railway trail maintenance, seniors homes maintenance.
Looks like a scene from the movie Fighting Temptations
Nice to see the inmates having the chance to give back to the community. This is a great start well done gentleman and all those involved to ensure this was a project well done and that everyone was safe.
First I’d like to thank all the inmates that had participated in the restoring of, “Grace Methodist Church”. It’s really a pleasure seeing the Govt. / Prison utilizing the “free labourers” that are incarcerated in our Prisons…some for years and others for menial crimes i.e. failing to pay fines or child support which brings me to this point, “why not allow them who have been put into jails for fines or failing to pay child support to do these types of jobs and deduct x amount of dollars off of their outstanding debt/s?”
Among many relevant statements that have been made by Mr. Eric Holder, U.S.A. Attorney General he has made this one which is somewhat pertinent to the subject at hand: “We need to ensure that incarceration is used to punish, deter and rehabilitate and not merely to convict, warehouse and forget.”
Typo: First I’d like to thank all the inmates that had participated in the restoration of the,”Grace Methodist Church”
SOOOO not free labour, $80,000 per year. Working off their child support, does not benefit the child in any way. The monies owed to their child/children should be paid to the child/children, and not to the Gov’t in the form of labour.