Prison Superintendent Patrick Wright (left) presents CSC Commissioner, Don Head, with one of several Bahamian gifts following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding. The gifts were all handmade by inmates of Her Majesty’s Prisons. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
The Bahamas — The recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Correctional Services of Canada and Her Majesty’s Prisons will assist the Prison in facilitating the modernisation of the Bahamian penal system by bringing it in line with international conventions and best practices, Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard J. Nottage said.
“If the Prison is to fulfil its rehabilitative mandate, the men and women who work in Her Majesty’s Prison must be equipped to do their jobs professionally and effectively,” Dr. Nottage said.
“That is why the Government of The Bahamas is absolutely committed to developing and implementing training programmes aimed at building the skills, competencies and capabilities of those who help to deliver at all levels in the Prison Service.”
Dr. Nottage said the signing of the M.O.U. was but another step along the road to prison reform that will ultimately lead to a “safer society for us all and a more fulfilling environment for all those who work at Her Majesty’s Prison.”
“The primary intention of the Memorandum of Understanding is to establish a relationship between The Bahamas and Canada in the field of Corrections with the aim of sharing information and expertise. The MOU sets out a framework for cooperation, information sharing and technology transfer. Its intent is to facilitate the modernisation of our penal system to bring it in line with international conventions and practices.
“The Correctional Services of Canada will work with us to improve our policies, technology, security intelligence, correctional programmes, facility planning, research and evaluation, data gathering, training, and leadership development for prison.”
Dr. Nottage said the success M.O.U. between Correctional Services of Canada and Her Majesty’s Prison will be measured in the extent to which it assists in the further development of Her Majesty’s Prisons as a correctional institution that assists inmates with realising their potential and in assuming their responsibility to become valued members o society.
“We are committed to bringing about genuine prison reform,” Dr. Nottage said. “We cannot be content with just warehousing inmates and operating a revolving door. Our mandate is clear. It is to ensure the operation of a safe, secure facility that is characterised by discipline and orderliness and one in which compassion and opportunity signal the way forward.”
Dr. Nottage said the MOU continues “the constructive and multi-facet relationship” already shared between The Bahamas and Canada.
“Canada and The Bahamas enjoy a constructive and multi-facet relationship based on shared Commonwealth history. Our countries also work closely in multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the Organisation of American States. On a bilateral basis, Canada has worked with the Bahamian police in battling organised crime through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This included the provision of a wide variety of law enforcement and counter-terrorism training via regional programming. On the Tourism front, The Bahamas receives between 115,000-131,000 Canadian tourists annually,” Dr. Nottage said.
“I thank the Government of Canada, and by extension the Correctional Services of Canada, for reaching out to The Bahamas to assist us in the development of our Correctional Services. I also congratulate the Superintendent of Prisons and his department for spearheading this initiative with the Correctional Services of Canada,” Dr. Nottage added.