The head of the Barbados Prison Service on Monday pushed back against growing public criticism that the country’s correctional facility is too soft, insisting it operates to international standards and remains committed to rehabilitation rather than punishment.
In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, Superintendent of Prisons DeCarlo Payne addressed perceptions that incarceration is now seen as a “vacation” by some young offenders, responding directly to social media commentary suggesting that prisoners no longer fear incarceration because they are well fed and cared for.
“This has to do with the socialisation of the youth now and the fact that a lot of values and morals and standards that we would have observed [are decreasing]. Those young people basically don’t even understand what those things are, so that might appear to the public as being lenient,” Supt Payne said. “But in truth, when you really go deeper into what’s happening here, this is not a vacation… we’re not in the business of hospitality. We’re here to take care of them the best that we can and make available opportunities that they can use to turn their lives around.”
He emphasised that the Prison Service’s approach is guided by human rights principles and international correctional standards. “To this point we have never really been accused of any human rights violations of individuals who are incarcerated here… what we do here is based on international standards… that’s what makes the difference in terms of what we do here,” he said.
The prison population stands at 749 inmates, most of whom are first-time offenders. Payne acknowledged the broader societal influences affecting these young men and women, noting the role of social media and other external factors.
The prison chief said he was “very concerned” about the high rate of deviance among the youth. “These are their most productive years that, to my mind, they’re wasting… there’s a lot that they’re soaking up, and they’re young and impressionable, so they’ll get influenced negatively very easily, especially the ones who lime on the blocks.”
Despite public criticism, the Prison Service has implemented extensive rehabilitative programmes aligned with the mandate of the Ministry of Home Affairs and international correctional standards. Education and skills training form a cornerstone of rehabilitation, and there is a high pass rate for CXC exams. Beyond academics, it has partnered with the Ministry of Youth, the Ministry of Empowerment, the Barbados Community College and Pommarine Hotel to provide certified training in hospitality, bartending, cooking, food preparation, waitering and multimedia skills, benefitting more than 60 participants across two cohorts.
Traditional vocational workshops offer carpentry, joinery, painting, mechanics, art and tailoring to ensure inmates acquire practical, marketable skills. Complementing these initiatives are collaborations with the NGO Pathways to Recovery, which supports ex-offenders with accommodation, employment and essential needs for the first six months after release.
Food security is another focus of the prison’s operational strategy. Prison farming has achieved near self-sufficiency in chicken and ground provisions, supported by year-round irrigation. Plans are also underway for photovoltaic energy projects and green energy training, preparing inmates and staff for sustainable practices.
According to Supt Payne, these programmes collectively promote employability, personal development and community reintegration, all while upholding human rights standards.
Addressing the perception that incarceration is increasingly seen as an easy or attractive option, he said: “Even though it would appear so that the young people are seeing it as a vacation… we are doing a lot more than what meets the eye in terms of trying to work to bring real interventions to this scourge that we are being faced with in terms of increasing violent crime. The opportunities for them to turn their lives around might not be the amount that we need, but it’s a work in process. We’re constantly working to make sure we get the best possible opportunities available for rehabilitative programming.”
The prison superintendent also reflected on educational disparities among young men and women in Barbados. He noted that girls are increasingly outperforming boys academically, while many young men gravitate towards skills-based learning. “It’s not about academics only because the skills can also allow for you the opportunity to have a comfortable life as well,” he said. “But I believe it has to do with social media impact, internet accessibility, website accessibility… all these influences from different societies, different countries with different ideologies. And these are all the things that have been thrown at the young people here, and there’s a lot that they’re soaking up.”
Supt Payne insisted that the Prison Service’s mandate remains that of an upright institution providing a secure environment that facilitates rehabilitation and prepares inmates for reintegration into society.
“At the end of the day, schools, homes, churches, institutions, society, communities, groups — everybody has a part to play because all of us have to live here in this country. I don’t see them as being helpless or hopeless. I don’t see it as a vacation. We are here to give them opportunities, and we continue to work on improving them.”
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
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