Cayman’s newly-appointed Prisons Inspection Board (PIB) members recently completed two days of intensive training designed to equip them to carry out their duties.
Their responsibilities became effective on 1 November, but the training enabled the new Inspectors to gain an understanding of prison operations, safety, and human rights in prisons, as well as of the international standards which govern prison inspections worldwide. These standards express the ideal found in Article 10 of the United International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.”
The PIB comprises seven members, with six members being selected by Cabinet from Cayman’s electoral districts. The chairperson is appointed by the Office of the Deputy Governor.
The 2010-2012 Prisons Inspection Board members are: Mr. Arek Joseph, OBE (Chairman), Ms. Rachel Ebanks (West Bay), Mr. Peter Van Der Bol (George Town), Ms. Caroline Solomon (Bodden Town), Mr. Audley Scott, JP (Sister Islands), Ms. Linda Connolly (North Side), and Mr. McFarlane Conolly (East End).
Rationale behind the PIB is to provide an independent perspective on behalf of the public and Cabinet, regarding conditions in correctional facilities and the ways in which such facilities are achieving their objectives.
The Board’s mission is to ensure that the prison facilities in the Cayman Islands meet required standards for the care and detention of prisoners. Cayman’s PIB has been operational for the past 15 years and is underpinned by a requirement for prisons inspection in the Prisons Law 1975 (section 42).
