The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Prison Officers Association President Gregory Archer said politicians are unduly interfering in the hiring processes at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS), sometimes causing qualified applicants to lose out on jobs.

His statement came a day after State Minister for National Security Keith Bell touted the Christie administration’s efforts to modernise the Correctional Services Department by increasing its staff complement and upgrading its facility.

During his budget communication on Wednesday, Mr Bell told the Senate that the government increased the complement of the BDCS’ staff by 99 during the last fiscal year.

The department has started the process of recruiting another 100 officers, he said, bringing the total staff up to 745.

But Mr Archer, who participates in recruitment activities, said “a good bunch” of the recent recruits have got their positions through political interference.

“We do feel pressure to hire these people,” he said. “Being in the position that I am on the board that interviews the potential candidates for employment, myself and others sit there countless hours interviewing applicants. And after we interview them, politicians send their persons in and some are not qualified or are beyond the age category for acceptance. When they try to force these persons on us, it weakens the quality of officers we have overall.”

Those wishing to work at the prison must send their applications to the prison’s human resources department.

“We process their forms and make sure they are qualified,” Mr Archer said. “We call them in and through the interview we do a process of elimination. They are expected to meet certain standards – medical, academic and otherwise. Once we choose whom we want we send it forward and we call the persons in and let them know when they should come in for training. After they go through training we send the list to the Public Service Commission so they can be officially hired.”

“(Through their actions, politicians who interfere) force us to take persons off the list that we have chosen and force them to wait until the next recruitment to put them back. These are people who are good potential officers; some Bahamian child who has earned the right to be there and fought for himself.”

Without naming names, Mr Archer said this practice is widespread among elected officials.

He also criticised the government for not yet engaging in promotion activities for prison officers, months after it promoted numerous Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) officers.

And even as Mr Bell on Wednesday touted his government’s move to install new stainless steel combination toilets throughout the Maximum Security Housing Unit of the prison, Mr Archer dismissed the narrative of progress, saying that the toilets that have already been installed have sat there for months without being used.

He added: “The roof is still leaking, the main security building is falling a part, mould is all over the place and the place is infested with rats.”