Correctional Services Staff to Be Engaged Through Town Halls
By: , January 10, 2018The Key Point:
Photo: Michael Sloley
Staff members at the Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre located along South Camp Road in Kingston engage in a praise and worship session held on the grounds of the facility on Monday, January 8.The Facts
- “These town halls will not be about inmates, because a lot of the discussions I’ve had centre around inmates; they (will be) purely about our staff. We want to rap with you. We want to have a discussion with you, so that we can hear directly from our probation officers, our correctional officers, our auxiliary workers and so we can get your recommendations and start implementing,” he noted.
- He added that “we want to engage you more so you can be a part of the decision- making process. A lot of our discussions we’re having about inmates relate to our officers… (and) we have to build you up… If we are to battle, then we have to build up our soldiers, so that is what we are going to try and spend the first part of 2018 doing.”
The Full Story
State Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Senator the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., says he will be increasing engagement with staff of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) through a number of town halls this year.
He made the disclosure at the Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre’s ‘Morning of Prayer & Praise’ held on Monday (Jan. 8) at the facility’s South Camp Road location in Kingston.
“These town halls will not be about inmates, because a lot of the discussions I’ve had centre around inmates; they (will be) purely about our staff. We want to rap with you. We want to have a discussion with you, so that we can hear directly from our probation officers, our correctional officers, our auxiliary workers and so we can get your recommendations and start implementing,” he noted.
He added that “we want to engage you more so you can be a part of the decision- making process. A lot of our discussions we’re having about inmates relate to our officers… (and) we have to build you up… If we are to battle, then we have to build up our soldiers, so that is what we are going to try and spend the first part of 2018 doing.”
The State Minister thanked the members of the DCS for their invaluable service and for positively engaging in the rehabilitation of offenders.
He encouraged them to be strong and courageous as they carry out their various tasks.
Senator Charles Jr. said the 2018 objectives outlined for the DCS are many, but he believes that they are all achievable.
“It is going to take hard work for us to achieve our goals, but I am convinced that we have the ability to do it right,” he noted.