Wilkerson: $20 million investment into prison staff
Funding is available to bolster staffing at the island’s prisons and efforts are under way to improve the process of filling the posts, the Minister of Justice confirmed today.
Kim Wilkerson, who is also the Attorney-General, said that the ministry was allocated $63.24 million in the 2026-27 Budget, an increase of $5.5 million.
She added that the funding boost will allow upgrades in the Department of Corrections to make the facilities more efficient and secure.
Ms Wilkerson said: “A major focus is strengthening our frontline team. $20 million has been set aside to recruit additional correctional officers and cover their salaries.
“This will stabilise staffing levels to ensure our facilities remain safe, secure and properly managed.
“Supporting our officers means a more supportive environment for everyone inside the system.
“We are also addressing longstanding issues within the facilities. $638,000 in capital funding will replace outdated furniture and essential fixtures.
“These upgrades may seem small but they directly improve safety, daily operations and the overall environment for staff and inmates alike.”
Ms Wilkerson, however, acknowledged that the recruitment process for the corrections department had its share of challenges, stating that the process was under examination.
She explained: “We always have the funds and we can’t seem to meet the mandate in getting the people in the seats.
“I was really pleased going to the passing-out parade a few days ago for a small number of new recruits, which indicates the challenge.
“We start with 37 and we end with six. People fall off along the way. That has forced us to look really critically at the recruitment process.
“We have our consultant in right now really scrubbing all of the data on how recruitment works, where candidates fall off at the various phases, to critically look at how we can strengthen the process of recruitment so that it is faster and so we can take out barriers that might be outdated in the process.”
A shortage of corrections staff was among the reasons thought to have paved the way for a serious assault on a prison officer last December. At the time, the justice minister outlined a wider review of issues within the department.
Ms Wilkerson said today that the funding allocation also included $5.5 million for the island’s treatment court programmes, adding the investment will include an “acute focus” on domestic abuse reform.
The Budget covers financial support to relocate the Legal Aid Office and further strengthen anti-money laundering measures.
Ms Wilkerson said that consultation on possible jury reforms was complete, and the ministry would move forward with recommendations that emerge from the process.
She said that the creation of new courtrooms was a priority for the Ministry of Public Works, with work under way.
Ms Wilkerson also said that the Bermuda Bar Council was probing the lack of lawyers working in criminal courts, which can also cause delays in the legal process.
She said: “We are actively addressing ways that we can encourage more Bermudians to come into the ranks in the criminal defence bar but also looking at ways that criminal lawyers can come into the jurisdiction and have less of a barrier to hitting the ground running.”
Asked about the possibility of higher sentences for some offences, Ms Wilkerson said that the Sentencing Guidelines Committee has started its review.
She denied the suggestion that there was a hesitancy to increase penalties for traffic offences, stating there was a process that needed to be followed.
Ms Wilkerson said: “We have to do it in a data-driven way, and we have to do it in a way that is informed by best practices, and that is under way.”
Asked if there was any update on cannabis reform legislation, Ms Wilkerson responded: “Not at the moment.”
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