BAHAMAS Department of Correctional Services Commissioner Doan Cleare. Photo: Dante Carrer
By LETRE SWEETING
Tribune Staff Reporter
lsweeting@tribunemedia.net
AMID recent allegations of prison officers breaking the law, Commissioner Doan Cleare is calling for better working conditions and increased payment to ensure more quality officers are attracted to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
Recently, police seized a quantity of suspected marijuana from two women at the Department of Corrections and took them into custody, on October 18. Two days later, they were granted $4,000 bail in the Magistrate’s Court, where they denied the allegations. The defendants are scheduled to return to court on March 11.
Speaking in general yesterday, Commissioner Cleare said that although the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) always seeks the best officers, some break the law. However, he gave an assurance that those who break the law will be punished accordingly.
“When you look at 850 officers, one or two who go afoul of the law, that’s a good ratio,” he said.
zWhat we have to realise is that officers are a cosmetic of this society. What takes place in society will take place at any institution. But we try to seek the best officers and sometimes, some may go afoul of the law. But if you do, you will be put before the courts,” he said.
Commissioner Cleare added that funds allocated to better working conditions and better salaries for prison officials would ensure the department has better officers.
“Prison is not an easy place to work. The conditions are hard and the salary is low. So if we improve the conditions and improve the salaries, I think we will attract better people. To be frank and fair, their first options are the police, defence force, Customs and Immigration.
“Prison is normally the last they will choose if they can’t get into those departments. But once we up our level of attraction, we will get more of the better crop coming in,” Commissioner Cleare said.
Disciplinary charges were brought against 55 prison officers in 2021, according to a 2021 Bahamas Department of Corrections report tabled in the House of Assembly on October 18.
The report did not specify what led to the charges or how many disciplinary matters are advanced to the judicial system for prosecution.
Comments
bahamianson 6 months ago
Clear calls for better working conditions for prison guards, clear calls for better working conditions for nurses, clear calls for better working conditions for police officers , clear calls for better working conditions for defense force officers, bpl always going off, cable bahamas always drops the wifi, water and sewerage always has the water off, there is always a funeral that has to march downtown or on a main road for all to see and block traffic, the roads on the island of New Providence all have potholes, the busses have no law and speed everywhere endangering the passengers and the public, corruption is everywhere in Government agencies and cabinet, only family friends and lovers get high salaries, food has increased by over 20%, Government services have increased over 50%, women have 5-6 children with no job and husband, bahamian men (majority) are loose, slack, lazy and worthless,downtown Nassau is a dump , new Providence is a dump, haitian crisis, drug crisis, health crisis and the beat goes on. Corrupt politicians can start by dealing with at least one of these recurrent issues before using our tax payers money to fly everywhere. Oh, forgot , rape is up 50%so let's keep carnival going. Let us keep the breast and front in the eyes of the young , horns, un ambitious men, can't walk anywhere without being afraid of getting robbed. We are in a terrible place! Sorry for the run-on.
rosiepi 6 months ago
If one creates an environment (such as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas) in which systemic corruption is the norm not the exception, and everyone from the lowest correctional officer, those cousins holding up walls in the airport to the high and mighty that foster all this, no amount of money and/or wages will ever be enough.
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