AG: More than a third of prison recommendations now in place
More than a third of the pointers given to better Bermuda’s correctional system have been put it place, the Attorney-General said today.
Kim Wilkerson, the Minister of Justice, told the Senate that 27 of the 75 recommendations from the Detention Standards Review Panel had been implemented, with another 29 in the planning stage.
She admitted that 14 of these had already been put in place, but added the level of progress made in six months showed strong commitment to change.
Ms Wilkerson added: “Turning around a correctional system is not done in a single announcement — it is done in the steady, unglamorous work of reform.
“That is the work this ministry, the Department of Corrections, the Prison Officers Association and our UK partners are doing every week.
“The hard work is being done and it will continue until Bermuda has a correctional system that is safe, humane and purposeful.”
The update came after an independent review of Bermuda’s correctional system found “notable inconsistency in policy and practice”, especially within Westgate, as well as poor staff recruitment and under-managed infrastructure.
The ministry received praise for giving inmates medical attention within 24 hours of appearing; therapy from Right Living House; work programmes at the Prison Farm; free lawyer calls; same-sex searches; and meeting religious and dietary needs.
Recommended changes were spread out across four topics — treatment, living conditions, activities and rehabilitation, and management.
Yesterday, Ms Wilkerson said prisoners now had a confidential route to the Treatment of Offenders Board using sealed correspondence and drop boxes.
A central complaints log was also put in place to identify and report patterns to senior management and the board, with the outcomes of these complaints now being provided in writing.
Corrections has also created a central log of investigations into deaths, escapes, disappearances and serious injuries.
Further, prisoners on remand who were locked in their cells after 4.30pm will now receive water bottles to keep them hydrated throughout the night.
Ms Wilkerson said other changes included a central inventory for bedding and clothing, inmate call times for family members overseas and a “clear, dedicated management oversight” for Westgate’s kitchen.
She added that a profiling exercise for His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service Staff was completed and a plan to implement the recommendations was finished.
A designated chief officer had been chosen to lead training, which will start next Monday.
Legislation protecting workers on rest days, improving Bermuda’s insurance industry and loosening licence renewal requirements were all passed yesterday.
The Motor Car and Auxiliary Bicycles (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2026 removed the need for drivers aged under 70 to get a medical certificate every time they renew their licences.
It further reduced inspections for private cars within five years of licensing.
Time between inspections for public service vehicle licences were increased from every six months to every 12 months.
Mischa Fubler, the Junior Minister of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, said: “The proposed change is intended to reduce the administrative and cost burden on applicants while simplifying the license renewal process without compromising safety or regulatory standards.”
Further passed was the Insurance Amendment Act 2026, which made provisions for insurers to file statements of its assets and liabilities with the Bermuda Monetary Authority.
Ryan Robert Perinchief, a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance, said the BMA would publish these statements and promoted “alignment with leading international regulatory standards”.
The Employment Amendment (No. 2) Act 2026, which prevented employers from taking disciplinary action against employees who are on leave or off duty, came into effect.
Lauren Bell, the Junior Minister of Economy and Labour, said the bill further outlined how the Employment and Labour Relations Tribunal would impose civil penalties for noncompliance.
She added the amendment allowed for the timeline of tribunal decisions being delivered to be extended.
Policies on the use of force and disciplinary segregation have been finalised for signature, Ms Wilkerson added, while a new process involving a discipline log is awaiting approval.
She said the segregation directory would make sure use of the practice was “lawful, authorised, reviewed and never used as routine punishment”.
Ms Wilkerson added that this, combined with a planned “use of force co-ordinator,” would help address “some of the panel’s most serious findings”.
Meanwhile, the senior nursing officer is working with several overseas health services to offer better dental care and substance use treatment to those on remand awaiting sentencing.
The Attorney-General said discussions with Bermuda College and Workforce Development to offer inmates courses for rehabilitation were taking place.
Meanwhile, case planning is being reviewed to offer disability accommodations and an incentive and earned privilege scheme.
Regarding infrastructure, a search for a maintenance team has been approved, while professional advice is being sought on ventilation and repairs that affect security.
A request has also been made for additional escort vehicles.
Ms Wilkerson admitted Corrections missed some deadlines, explaining staffing pressures continued to limit what changes could be made, such as implementing the National Locking Recommendations and changes to Westgate’s evening meals.
She added a planned UK visit in July had to be rescheduled, while regional training set for August was postponed.
“These are real constraints,” Ms Wilkerson said. “They are not excuses and they have not stopped the work.”
However, Ms Wilkerson said a team from the UK Ministry of Justice and HMPPS was now in Bermuda working with Corrections to create a new security strategy.
The work will include a new search party to have “intelligence-led” strip searches.
Ms Wilkerson said: “The UK Ministry of Justice has stood with us throughout this process, from helping to build the action plan itself to the staff profiling exercise, to the specialist advice and training that continue to shape our policies.”
In the next quarter, work will be done to look at the use of restraints on prisoners on remand; a special accommodation policy; a staff training and development plan; a business continuity plan with drills and training; and the first annual staff engagement survey.
Other changes include phone credit support for foreign nationals and those on remand, new gym equipment and new escort vehicles.
Job descriptions for full-time chaplains are being finalised.
Ms Wilkerson said another update will be given by the next quarter of the year.
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