Commissioner of Corrections Keeva Joell-Benjamin represented Bermuda at a major regional corrections conference in Kingston, Jamaica, last week, as the Department of Corrections continues to draw on international and regional expertise to support its ongoing reform programme.
The Commissioner attended the 14th Annual Conference of the Association of Caribbean Heads of Corrections and Prison Services from 7 to 11 September, joining correctional leaders, policymakers, technical experts and strategic partners from across the Caribbean.
Held under the theme “One Caribbean, One Vision: Leading Together for a Safer Caribbean Corrections”, the conference focused on strengthening regional cooperation, sharing effective practices, and examining approaches to modernising correctional services.
Sessions addressed areas directly relevant to the challenges facing modern correctional systems, including institutional security and technology, legal and policy reform, staff and inmate health and wellbeing, professional development, mental health, rehabilitation and reintegration.
The conference also examined the development of the Caribbean Correctional Academy, aimed at supporting more consistent training, professional certification, specialist development and leadership preparation across the region.
The Commissioner said the discussions provided an important opportunity to examine how other jurisdictions are responding to challenges that are also relevant to Bermuda.
She stated: “My participation was timely considering that correctional systems across the region are dealing with many of the same operational pressures that we are facing in Bermuda, including staffing, officer wellbeing, institutional security, rehabilitation and changing technology,
“I think there is value in understanding what is working elsewhere, examining the evidence and having a serious thought about what may be appropriate within Bermuda’s own context.”
The Jamaica engagement follows a series of measures being advanced by the Ministry of Justice and Department of Corrections in response to the independent Review Panel Report tabled earlier this year.
The independent review identified 75 recommendations across the treatment of inmates, living conditions, activities and rehabilitation, and detainee management.
A Post-Inspection Action Plan has since been established, assigning responsibility, target dates and evidential requirements to the areas of work arising from the review.
The Government has also continued its partnership with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service in the United Kingdom. This has included specialist support with staff profiling, workforce planning and implementation of the wider reform action plan, as well as continuing engagement between UK corrections expert Russ Crooks and the Commissioner of Corrections.
The Commissioner added: “This was also an opportunity to strengthen professional relationships with other correctional leaders and to have practical discussions about workforce development, training, standards and rehabilitation.
“We cannot operate in isolation. Regional cooperation gives us another source of experience and expertise as we continue the work already underway within the Department.”
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, JP, said Commissioner Joell-Benjamin’s participation in the Jamaica conference formed part of that broader programme of work.
The Minister said: “We have been clear about the challenges within Corrections, and we have also been clear that addressing them requires sustained work, accountability and a willingness to learn from experience beyond Bermuda.”
She added: “The independent review, the action plan, the work with our UK partners and now strengthened engagement with our Caribbean counterparts are all parts of the same process.
“We are looking carefully at our own system while also making sure Bermuda has access to the experience, expertise and ideas that can help inform the decisions ahead.”
The Minister continued: “I accept that corrections reform will not be achieved through one initiative or one announcement. Yes, it requires consistent attention to staffing, officer safety and wellbeing, facilities, leadership, rehabilitation and the conditions in which people are held.
“The Government has said this work will continue, and the Commissioner of Corrections' participation in these regional discussions is another practical step in that process.”
A photo of the event is attached, courtesy of the Department of Correctional Services, Jamaica.
