Prison boss takes early retirement

| 21/11/2012

dwight scott (233x300).jpg(CNS): The director of prisons, Dwight Scott, is retiring from the Cayman Islands Prison Service, officials from the Portfolio of Internal & External Affairs confirmed Tuesday. Scott has already left service as a result of accrued annual leave that will continue until his official retirement date next February. In the interim, until a recruitment process is complete, Deputy Director Daniel Greaves is acting as director of prisons and Natalie Joseph-Caesar is the acting deputy director. Scott's retirement comes ahead of what the portfolio has said will be changes and improvements to the service based on reports carried out by international corrections experts.

Appointed director of prisons in 2004, Scott received the Colonial Prison Long Service Medal in 2010, and has worked in the local prisons system for 23 years. During that time he led the restoration of the prisons in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, developed the Tilapia farm project; and introduced a City and Guilds examination centre within the prison system.

Chief Officer Eric Bush thanked Scott for his contributions to the Prison Service but made no comment regarding speculation that Scott had been asked to retire early.

Looking to the future Bush said the prison would be guided by the reports it had commissioned relating to corrections and rehabilitation.

The Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC), Cambridge University’s Institute of Criminology, and most recently, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons have all reviewed and reported on the local prison systems and pointed out a number of areas where significant improvement is needed, in particular rehabilitation.

“We believe this information has an invaluable role to play in improving the overall quality of the corrections and rehabilitation product of the Cayman Islands,” Bush added.

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  1. Lickytee Split says:

    Oooooooooh yeah now the S#@* is going to hit the fan for some people who have been covering up for certain people who are no longer in gowerment and want to now represent Da people. Well old bye boy your neighbor and lodge bro can't help you any longer  Solid as a rock they cant stop us now! tek dat! He who commits injustice is ever made more wretched than he who suffers it.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Accrued Leave??  Why everytime a Senior Civil Servant retires they have so many months accrued leave?  The maximum leave they can accumulate in a year is 28 working days. Why did not take their annual leave?  Civil Servants were told that they must take their annual leave because it is a liability on the balance sheet.  Junior Civil Servants have to take their leave and are told if you don't take it you lose it.  The same should apply to Senior Civil Servants.

  3. Ish says:

    Mr Scott remember what the Deputy governor told you he did not tell you that only applied so  long as he was in the office. Sorry old boy new management new rules no worries the golden handshake still stands in the Old boy network. Congrats u made to the big time being retired is better than being in prison.

  4. Donny's likkle Bwoy says:

    Poor old Dwight , Donny aint there anymore to fix things now eh?Yes anon 7:09 you tell that to Ms Schirn's parents see how that works out for u. What is going to happen to all the warden's little pets no more cellphones and no more privellges to make them outside connections work! Things going to get real tight up in here and wait till open up dem books mann somebodeee going to Jail! Somebody better adopt the Dr Syed move and call them secret handshake boys to delay the Audit till the money get in the account.

  5. Anonymous says:

    This is a grim story of moving the man out of the job and keeping things nice and quiet. What it is about will likely never be known, just another cover up.

  6. Scippy dibby doop says:

    Look out folks alot of financial irregularities may come to light and the missing bags of rice from the prison stores and just maybe just maybe the truth about Sabrina Schirn will be revealed now amongst other "tings" The murders of Estella maybe be feel unhindered now to speak what they know? Since dey Lodge brother has left  ooops removed sorry retired from his post! i guess the Donney promise not worth much these days eh!

  7. Baldric says:

    I heard the prisoners made him a nice leaving present  – two 20ft ladders.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Its been peaceful at Northward because they all get their ganja.  Thats the only logical explanation, not because of good leadership and capability.  Scott got rich off of it and left.

    • Local says:

      I hear the report condemns the Prisons, and that the retirement package is very sweet – almost like "hush money"

      Isn't this the same guy the Deputy Govenor was quoted as saying was doing an 'excellent job'

      What a mess.

    • Anonymous says:

      This is another cover up – the man is less than forty five and and has only been  with Gov some 23 years.  His poor handling of the prison is what got him fired, sorry, I mean retired.

      They only giving the spin of him retiring to cover the fact that we had someone at the helm who did absolutley nothhing for the prison except mistreat  Caymanians and hire his friends.

      The prisoners running Northward cause they getting all the drugs they want in exchange for good behaviour. Hope the new director change that – the poor deputy not much betta.

  9. Anonymous says:

    That's a heck of lot leave to have apparently accrued and been allowed to take in one go.

    Is this a case of, "Has retired," or "Was retired?" It's a big difference.

     

  10. Anonymous says:

    A Lodge Brother needs a cushy job and this is the best one we could find right now. You got a problem with that?

  11. Anonymous says:

    Yes Mr Scott has been asked to retire early. We all know that. He does not, it is said, fit the image (I'll say no more) of a modern prison (sorry, corrections, director). And yet, under his management, the prison has been arelatively quiet, stable place. More so than under some of those who went before him. All credit to him and hopefully he will enjoy his retirement. Let us see who he is replaced by and what country they come from.

    • Anonymous says:

      I agree with you 7:09. The Compass today lists some negative things that happened "on his watch" but these types of things (and worse) happened previously too. It will be interesting to see if a new whizz-kid "Director of Corrections" or "Manager of Human Rehabilitation" or some such modern title can make any real difference.

    • Anonymous says:

      The prison has been quiet or heavily sedated.

    • Anonymous says:

      Englishman !!

  12. Anonymous says:

    Hmmm, 23 yrs service not 33, doubt he has reached 50 yet. Early retirement huh?

    • Anonymous says:

      Kudos to Mr Bush at the portfolio.  The writing was on the wall as plain as the nose on our faces that Mr Scott was clueless in adressing rehabilitation and the overall development of the prison going forward. The many incidents that caused embarrassment to the insiitution and government and infringed on the wellbeing of the society under his administration were more than enough reason to replace him.  The murder at Wilderness farm, escapes,inmates having full access of illicit drugs,cellphones, the high turn over of staff and the demoralization of staff through his micro-management style. It is refreshing that Mr Scott is gone and the portfollio is giving the prison the attention it so badly needs. 

      • Messenjah says:

        I have to agree with most of what was expressed regarding the post.

        However, the only person that they have in that ministry that knows and understands prisons is Kathryn Dinspel. Bush and the rest have no exposure or training when it comes to prisons.

        In regards to rehabilitation, there are other Govt Dept's that need to be held responsible and accountable. Why is it that the Dept of Counselling Services which has an output of delivering  counselling services to the prisoners at HMPNW not done so in the last several years?