OT officials try out Cayman’s electronic tag system

(CNS): A number of officials from other overseas territories recently visited the Cayman Islands to try out the tagging system currently used by the authorities here. Part of a fact finding project sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the four individuals wore the tags themselves and were monitored for 24 hours in order to assess the system’s capability. Tamia Richards, a Magistrate from the British Virgin Islands; Sgt Carl Mason  from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force; Ian Sargent, the Prison Superintendent from Turks & Caicos Islands; and Jocelyn Johnson, a Chief Probation Officer from Anguilla put themselves in the position of offenders.

Steve Fradley, FCO Prison Reform Coordinator for the Overseas Territories, who coordinated the visit with assistance from Eric Bush from the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs, said the visit allowed the officials from the other Overseas Territories to look at the Cayman experience of setting up electronic monitoring systeman for offenders.

“All those who came to Cayman have been extremely impressed with everything they have seen and the visit has served to improve links and working relationships between the various agencies in the criminal justice field. Pilot projects on electronic monitoring will now take place in various territories over the next few month," he said.

However, the system has not been without its problems as several offenders who have worn the tags in the past  have been able to remove them. The most high profile was Harryington Rivers, who was shot in the middle of the night by a home owner after he managed to remove his tag and break into the house, while the authorities were unaware that he had removed his tag.