Nineteen prison officers have been promoted.

Keeva-Mae Joell-Benjamin, the Acting Commissioner of Corrections, congratulated the officers for reaching “this significant professional milestone”.

She added the changes, the first for four years, were an exciting time for the department.

Ms Joell-Benjamin added: “They will play a key role in not only carrying out their respective roles as it relates to the Commissioner’s Directive and our Strategic Plan 18-20, but also in fulfilling our mission of empowering inmates to be responsible and productive citizens.”

Ten officers were promoted from basic officer to divisional officer, five officers from divisional officer to principal officer, three from principal officer to chief officer and one from chief officer to assistant commissioner.

The promotions were Assistant Commissioner Phillip Downie, chief officers Ryan Belboda, Sandra Gomes and Dwight Richards, principal officers Deonie Furbert, April Ming, Gladwin Simons, Winette Thomas and Scott Turner, divisional officers Quincy Caines, James Codrington, Dominic Franklin, Daron Harvey, Derek Ingram, Darren Pitcher, Marvin Trott, Nelson Simons, Michelle Wilkinson and Doreen Zuill.

The officers were promoted during a ceremony last Friday at Dockyard’s Clocktower Mall.