Findings from an international peer review of the island’s correctional facilities have been delivered to the Government, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice confirmed.

Kim Wilkerson added that the results will be shared with the public.

A government spokeswoman said last year that Andrew Murdoch, the Governor, arranged for the visit of a Detention Standards Review panel, at the request of the justice minister.

The independent assessment of facilities took place from October 6 to 15.

Panellists comprised senior correctional leaders from the Turks & Caicos Islands, Britain and the Cayman Islands.

They met Mr Murdoch and Ms Wilkerson, inspected Westgate Correctional Facility on Ireland Island and the Co-Educational facility in St George’s, and interviewed inmates and staff.

In a video posted on the Government’s Facebook page today, the Attorney-General was asked for an update on the process.

Ms Wilkerson replied: “I’m really excited to advise the public that we have the final version of the peer review report. Those findings will be shared with the public.”

The justice ministry said in February that the panel’s findings would be released “in the coming weeks”.

It added then: “The Government is committed to implementing the necessary actions arising from that review.

“The recommendations form part of a comprehensive long-term improvement plan to provide enhanced support for officers.”

Ms Wilkerson was asked in the video posted online for her response to concerns raised by the Prison Officers Association around officer safety.

She said: “The ministry, the Government, takes the safety of our public officers as critically important.

“I want those officers and their family members to know that we value them and their safety is … paramount, so we will be working to make sure any recommendations out of the review report are swiftly implemented, particularly those that relate to officer safety.”

Reflecting on recruitment of corrections officers, Ms Wilkerson added: “Building the workforce is critical.”

The minister last month attended a passing-out parade for six prison officers and noted in a Budget press conference later that hiring staff for the island’s correctional facilities had its challenges.

She said that $20 million was allocated in 2026-27 for recruitment and salaries.

However, Ms Wilkerson added at the time: “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.”

In the latest social media post she said that more officers were needed and “the ideal is to have more Bermudian officers join the ranks”.

A recruitment drive has been launched by the Government with the public urged to consider careers in corrections.

Applications can be submitted through the Government Careers web portal with a closing date of April 17.