Following recent efforts to enhance the prison’s visit room, children, relatives and friends of inmates now have a setting that is more conducive to promoting healthy relationships at Her Majesty’s Prison Northward.

Late last month, Tom Hines of the Governor’s Office and the Deputy Chief Officer Corrections and Rehabilitation Kathryn Dinspel-Powell assisted prison officials in refurbishing and repainting the Visitors’ Hall.

Acting Prison Director Daniel Greaves said providing more privacy was one reason for the project. The room sees visits by about 300 spouses, relatives, children and friends each weekend.

Equally important, the improvements were made at no cost to government.

The Acting Prison Deputy Director, Aduke Joseph-Caesar, states that, “The ‘end-to-end’ management of offenders being implemented is the new way of operating and is based on research that demonstrates re-offending can be reduced by helping offenders to deal with factors such as homelessness, drug addiction, maintaining family contact and unemployment, and other issues.”

She explained that HMCIPS is using a “seven pathways to reduce re-offending” in the provision of services to offenders.

Noting that the challenge is to transform offenders into upstanding citizens, she said, “One pathway is to help them maintain strong relationships with families and children, which can play a major role in enabling prisoners to make and sustain changes that help them to avoid re-offending. This is often difficult because incarceration places added strains on family relationships.”

The plastic chairs and prison-made tables now available are a marked improvement.

Until December 2012, family visits took place across a long common table that limited opportunities for privacy and individual communication.

Mr. Greaves reports that inmates have been very receptive and appreciative of the recent improvements: “This new ambiance fosters a stronger family connection and creates a feeling of optimism – which in turn assists greatly with the inmates’ rehabilitation and re-entry into society. It places them in a better frame of mind for family life and communications.”

The revitalized room now includes a book corner where children can read with parents as well as more colourful surroundings – including artwork by inmates and prison officers.

In addition, a waiting room was established at the prison several years ago. A small garden, where they can view the latest crops of tomatoes and cabbage in the yard, is also part of the visitors’ experience.

Female inmates at Fairbanks Prison in George Town are visited at that facility.

There are no provisions for conjugal visits at the prison institutions.

Special unsupervised home visits of a few hours are allowed periodically. These are based on any inmate’s ranking, privileges earned and other factors.

Apart from familial visits, prison officials also accommodate separate visits of church groups, attorneys and visits by relatives from overseas.