Statement from the Minister of National Security The Hon. Wayne Munroe
Today Commissioner of the Bahamas Department of Corrections Charles Murphy was placed on immediate administrative leave pending a full investigation into several issues. The three areas of immediate and greatest concerns are:
1. The briefing produced for me by Commissioner Murphy disclosed on the face of it that the Bahamas Department of Corrections (BDOCS) was not being operated in accordance with the Correctional Services Act.
2. It came to my attention that BDOCS, the management of which is vested in Commissioner Murphy, may have breached an Order made by Supreme Court Justice Klein ordering the release of Prescott Smith who had been committed to BDOCS himself for failing to obey an Order of a Supreme Court judge.
3. It was reported to me that the aforesaid Prescott Smith has subsequently tested positive for infection with the sars cov2 virus. It came to my attention that during his stay at BDOCS Mr. Smith was quarantined in a cell with three other individuals.
In the face of these concerns Commissioner Murphy was directed to proceed immediately on administrative leave. Deputy Commissioners of Corrections Bernadette Murray and Doan Cleare who were in the Ministry of National Security have been ordered returned to BDOCS. Deputy Commissioner Doan Cleare will act as Commissioner of Corrections in the absence of Commissioner Murphy.
I led a delegation to BDOCS from the Ministry of National Security comprising the Acting Permanent Secretary Cheryl Darville, Legal Officer Paul Jones and Project Officer Delgardo Forbes. We interviewed the following:
1. the officers in charge of the Central Intake Remand facility where Mr. Smith was held;
2. the officer in charge of the medium security unit of BDOCS;
3. the officer in charge of the maximum security block of BDOCS;
4. the officer then in charge of the sick bay at BDOCS;
5. personnel in the medical records section of BDOCS;
6. Dr. Johnson the medical officer at BDCOS; and 7. the officer in charge of the female unit at BDOCS.
I am concerned over the condition of BDOCS and some of the protocols reported to be in place. I have tasked Acting Commissioner Cleare and Deputy Commissioner Murray to assess the current condition to immediately seek to remediate poor conditions and tighten protocols in line with the advice of Dr. Johnson.
I believe that with a cooperative effort we can truly see a new day at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. If we are truly about rehabilitation, transformation and correction then we must ensure that stakeholders are treated fairly and civilly.
