Bahamas News
02-07-05, - 01:36 AM
New Boss For Prison
Candia Dames
The Bahama Journal
http://www.bahamasissues.com/images/news/pratt_prison.jpg
From left, Edwin Culmer, outgoing prison superintendent who is the new head of the Detention Centre, Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt and Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet. (Photo by Omar Barr)
Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt announced at the Cabinet Office yesterday that criminologist Dr. Elliston Rahming is the new superintendent of Her Majesty’s Prison and the present prison boss, Edwin Culmer, has been appointed to head the Detention Centre.
Dr. Rahming, who is presently special advisor to the prime minister, was not present at the announcement because he was out of town.
Minister Pratt, during the press conference, said, “The appointment of Mr. Culmer will bring someone with more than three decades of work and training in custodial administration to the Centre.
“As the new head of the Detention Centre, Mr. Culmer will bring his considerable expertise to strengthening the administration of the Centre, inclusive of well trained custodial specialists.”
Mr. Culmer, who has worked at the prison for 33 years, said he hopes under his leadership, there will be fewer reports of abuse at the immigrant centre, located off Carmichael Road.
Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet was asked whether Mr. Culmer’s appointment was triggered by the uprising at the facility in December and recent allegations of abuse there.
“I think the government has always regarded the Detention Centre as an important place and we were always looking to find the right time and the right personnel to upgrade that particular facility,” he said.
“It is true that the allegations were made and after the police did their investigations and they provided us with a report and with recommendations that we have been studying those recommendations and we’ve looked at some of them for immediate action and as a result of [that] we felt this was a proper time to have the expertise and extensive experience of Mr. Culmer who will, in my view, take the centre to another level.”
Minister Pratt said the outgoing prison superintendent is a “champion of prison reform and for getting better results for the society as well as for those who leave the prison to come back into society.”
She said Dr. Rahming, who chaired the Prison Reform Commission, is to be given an opportunity to do all the things he’s talked about and which the public has known him for.
“Dr. Rahming now has the responsibility of bringing the most modern innovations of the science of criminology to bear at Her Majesty’s Prison, including fostering an appreciation of the rights of victims of crime,” Minister Pratt said.
“Dr. Rahming’s appointment is another important step toward effecting comprehensive reform at the prison. We intend that the reforms will include improvements to the physical aspects of security as well as to the working and custodial environment.”
She also announced that there will be a support team to assist Dr. Rahming and the officers and staff of Her Majesty’s Prison.
“In the meantime, however, I am concerned about the fact that too many of our young men are coming back into prison for a second time and even a third time,” the deputy prime minister said. “I am also concerned that they are sitting in prison and not doing enough to prepare themselves for honest and productive work on the outside. We must have dramatic improvement in this area.
She said she has asked the new prison superintendent to put the necessary training and productive work programmes in place so that prison life can better prepare the inmates for their return to society.
“As a result, the rate of people going back to prison will become lower and lower as time goes on,” Minister Pratt predicted.
“Bahamians can and should expect positive results from the money that we spend in putting away those people who break the rules. In time and with the effort to be spearheaded by Dr. Rahming, our prison will meet the expectations of Bahamians.”
Candia Dames
The Bahama Journal
http://www.bahamasissues.com/images/news/pratt_prison.jpg
From left, Edwin Culmer, outgoing prison superintendent who is the new head of the Detention Centre, Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt and Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet. (Photo by Omar Barr)
Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt announced at the Cabinet Office yesterday that criminologist Dr. Elliston Rahming is the new superintendent of Her Majesty’s Prison and the present prison boss, Edwin Culmer, has been appointed to head the Detention Centre.
Dr. Rahming, who is presently special advisor to the prime minister, was not present at the announcement because he was out of town.
Minister Pratt, during the press conference, said, “The appointment of Mr. Culmer will bring someone with more than three decades of work and training in custodial administration to the Centre.
“As the new head of the Detention Centre, Mr. Culmer will bring his considerable expertise to strengthening the administration of the Centre, inclusive of well trained custodial specialists.”
Mr. Culmer, who has worked at the prison for 33 years, said he hopes under his leadership, there will be fewer reports of abuse at the immigrant centre, located off Carmichael Road.
Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet was asked whether Mr. Culmer’s appointment was triggered by the uprising at the facility in December and recent allegations of abuse there.
“I think the government has always regarded the Detention Centre as an important place and we were always looking to find the right time and the right personnel to upgrade that particular facility,” he said.
“It is true that the allegations were made and after the police did their investigations and they provided us with a report and with recommendations that we have been studying those recommendations and we’ve looked at some of them for immediate action and as a result of [that] we felt this was a proper time to have the expertise and extensive experience of Mr. Culmer who will, in my view, take the centre to another level.”
Minister Pratt said the outgoing prison superintendent is a “champion of prison reform and for getting better results for the society as well as for those who leave the prison to come back into society.”
She said Dr. Rahming, who chaired the Prison Reform Commission, is to be given an opportunity to do all the things he’s talked about and which the public has known him for.
“Dr. Rahming now has the responsibility of bringing the most modern innovations of the science of criminology to bear at Her Majesty’s Prison, including fostering an appreciation of the rights of victims of crime,” Minister Pratt said.
“Dr. Rahming’s appointment is another important step toward effecting comprehensive reform at the prison. We intend that the reforms will include improvements to the physical aspects of security as well as to the working and custodial environment.”
She also announced that there will be a support team to assist Dr. Rahming and the officers and staff of Her Majesty’s Prison.
“In the meantime, however, I am concerned about the fact that too many of our young men are coming back into prison for a second time and even a third time,” the deputy prime minister said. “I am also concerned that they are sitting in prison and not doing enough to prepare themselves for honest and productive work on the outside. We must have dramatic improvement in this area.
She said she has asked the new prison superintendent to put the necessary training and productive work programmes in place so that prison life can better prepare the inmates for their return to society.
“As a result, the rate of people going back to prison will become lower and lower as time goes on,” Minister Pratt predicted.
“Bahamians can and should expect positive results from the money that we spend in putting away those people who break the rules. In time and with the effort to be spearheaded by Dr. Rahming, our prison will meet the expectations of Bahamians.”