Tag: Neil Lavis
Prison nabs suspect throwing drugs into jail
(CNS): A man has been arrested after a prison officer caught him throwing ganja over the prison fence. The suspect was said to be in possession of several pounds of ganja in two large bags when he was apprehended. A release from HM Cayman Islands Prison Service said that on Thursday, Prison Officer Michael Taylor […]
Prison turns to private sector for inmate rehab
(CNS): Due to a shortage of staff, the prison service is turning to the private sector to help rehabilitate and retrain inmates who will be due for release. Although nine new recruits have now begun training to become prison officers, Cayman Islands jails are around 35% understaffed, the prison management has confirmed. With the prison […]
Friend of prison boss favoured over colleagues
(CNS): A British woman who was a long-time friend of the prison director was given preferential treatment when she was employed at HMP Northward as a manager in 2014 compared to her colleagues. Nina White, who has since left the service after getting embroiled in the ‘videogate’ scandal at the jail, was paid over $1,000 […]
Over 30 Caymanians apply for job at prison
(CNS): Prison officials said that 128 people, including 32 Caymanians, have begun the three-step process to secure one of seven vacancies in the Cayman Islands Prison Service after a recruitment drive that began in August. Testing began last week with a written entrance exam, which tests the candidates maths and English standards. For those who […]
CIG ponders privatisation of prison transport
(CNS): Government is preparing an outline business case for outsourcing inmate transport. In the first step towards the privatisation of a full public sector service, the Home Affairs ministry has released a strategic assessment on the possibility of contracting out the movement of inmates from the prison or police cells to court or hospital and back to a […]
Prison conditions could be challenged through JR
(CNS): Claims by the chair of the Human Rights Commission that, due to its appalling state, HMP Northward cannot house inmates in accordance with either the Cayman Islands constitution or the European Convention on Human Rights should be pursued through a judicial review, a judge has suggested. The conditions at the country’s male prison were […]
Family dog may visit crash lawyer
(CNS): The wife of a corporate attorney jailed recently for mowing down and seriously injuring two tourists in his sports car after a champagne brunch has applied to take the family dog with her when she visits HMP Northward. Prison officials have confirmed that an individual who has applied to visit an inmate has made a […]
Holland closes jails, Northward packed to capacity
(CNS): As the Cayman Islands director of prisons battles with serious overcrowding at HMP Northward and the highest number of female inmates at Fairbanks prison for many years, the Dutch government is planning to close empty jails and the UK has announced a series of reforms that will see inmates tagged and sent home during […]
Prison rehab inconsistent and cash strapped
(CNS): The lack of resources at the Cayman Islands’ packed prison is presenting a serious and increasing challenge to prison management, and one of the unfortunate results is that rehabilitation often takes a back seat to security and safety at HMP Northward. But the new Conditional Release Law requires all inmates to go through comprehensive […]
Mental health presents major challenge for prison
(CNS): Life at HMP Northward can be very challenging for all inmates and staff because the country’s prison is no longer fit for purpose, bursting at the seams and massively under-resourced. But one of the most pressing difficulties is the incarceration of prisoners with, in some cases, very serious mental health challenges who should not […]
Inmates’ voluntary work part of rehab process
(CNS): With the prison now obligated to rehabilitate offenders before they can be released into the community but with no new resources to do so, inmates in the lowest risk category are being encouraged to join external work parties and participate in community projects. As part of this new initiative, four prisoners recently volunteered to […]
