Prison board prepares for inspection duty

(CNS): The new members of the country’s Prisons Inspection Board (PIB) recently completed two days of intensive training, government officials said. The PIB comprises seven lay members of the community, who are appointed to give an independent perspective on behalf of the public regarding conditions in correctional facilities and the way in which such facilities are achieving their objectives. Six of the members are selected by Cabinet from Cayman’s electoral districts and the chairperson is appointed by the Office of the Deputy Governor. The board’s mission is to ensure that local prison facilities meet required standards for the care and detention of prisoners. Cayman’s PIB has been operational for the past 15 years in accordance with the Prisons Law.

The training enabled the new inspectors to gain an understanding of prison operations, safety and human rights in prisons, as well as of theinternational standards that govern prison inspections worldwide, a government release stated. These standards express the ideal found in Article 10 of the United International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.”

The 2010-2012 Prisons Inspection Board members are Arek Joseph, OBE (Chairman), Rachel Ebanks (West Bay), Peter Van Der Bol (George Town), Caroline Solomon (Bodden Town), Audley Scott (Sister Islands), Linda Connolly (North Side) and McFarlane Conolly (East End).