British expert returns to support corrections reform
A prison and probation expert from Britain has returned to Bermuda to provide support to the Department of Corrections.
The Government reported progress on corrections reform as the Ministry of Justice moves from planning to delivery across the department.
To reinforce that work, Russ Crooks, the head of the international liaison team with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service in Britain, has returned to the island to provide support.
Mr Crooks met David Roberts, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, on Tuesday to review progress and assist with the practical measures being put in place across the department, including a staff-profiling exercise, workforce planning and the wider action plan for reform.
A department spokesman said that Mr Crooks’s return “reflects the Government’s continued focus on addressing longstanding concerns at the Westgate Correctional Facility and ensuring that the review panel’s findings lead to measurable operational change”.
The review panel report, tabled in the Senate in May by Kim Wilkerson, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, identified 75 recommendations covering the treatment of inmates, living conditions, activities and rehabilitation, and detainee management.
The Government has accepted the recommendations and established a post-inspection action plan.
Mr Crooks earlier visited to provide direct assistance as the action plan was being developed.
His latest visit is focused on implementation, including helping to align staffing arrangements with operational requirements and supporting the department as it progresses the recommendations contained in the report.
The staff-profiling exercise is intended to provide a clearer assessment of the department’s workforce.
Ms Wilkerson said: “Mr Crooks’s return shows that the work arising from the review panel report is moving forward in a practical and structured way.
“We are bringing in the right expertise to support the department, strengthen its operations and ensure that the recommendations result in real change.”
The minister added: “The Government has been clear that the longstanding challenges at Westgate require sustained attention and accountability.
“This work is focused on improving safety for officers, conditions and care for inmates, and the overall management of the correctional system.”
The independent panel assessed Westgate Correctional Facility, the Co-Educational Facility and the Prison Farm against the Overseas Territories Detention Standards Framework.
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