Two senior prison officers are set to complete a UK-funded leadership programme as part of the island’s effort to overhaul prison culture.

Divisional officers Shannon DeRoza and Milton Jones joined the Next Generation Prison Leaders programme last December, aiming to graduate in July.

The pair represented Bermuda in their cohort of middle and senior operational prison managers from across the British Overseas Territories.

Kim Wilkerson, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, said: “This is a meaningful achievement and they should be proud of it.

“Their participation reflects the calibre of officers we have within the Department of Corrections and the important role staff will play in the reform process now under way.”

The training was said to be part of reforms to Bermuda’s prison system after a damning review by the Detention Standards Review Panel found “notable inconsistency in policy and practice”.

The 41-page document described staffing shortages as having a “significant negative impact” on staff morale and causing delays in services, such as access to legal resources, medical visits and educational development.

The review took place last year between October 6 and 15, and involved senior correctional officers from the Turks & Caicos Islands, Britain and the Cayman Islands.

Shortly after the review and its 75 recommendations were shared in the Senate in May, Ms Wilkerson said her ministry had started making changes.

She added: “The standards review made clear that Bermuda’s correctional system must move with greater purpose, stronger accountability and closer alignment with international detention standards.”

Ms Wilkerson added the programme was tied to her previous engagement with prison officials from the Virgin Islands and other equivalent British Overseas Territories bodies in April.

Keeva Joell-Benjamin, the Commissioner of Corrections, said both officers had risen through the ranks, with their participation in the programme reflecting their “professionalism, their work ethic and their clear commitment to preparing for future leadership”.

She added: “We need officers who are prepared to lead, who are willing to learn from international partners and who can bring that knowledge back into our facilities in a practical way.”