BVI News

HMP gets 12 prison officers from Scotland

BVI News photograph of a prison officer.

Her Majesty’s Prison has received 12 additional prison officers from the United Kingdom.

The officers were deployed from the Scottish Prison Service, and they arrived in the territory two weeks ago.

Superintendent of the adult penitentiary in Balsam Ghut, David Foot told BVI News that the officers will remain in the territory for six months.

“The Scottish parliament offered the assistance to us in the light of Hurricane Irma, which we gratefully accepted. And so, they are covering most of the cost of the officers being out here themselves, which I am very grateful for,” Foot said.

According to Foot, the BVI was only responsible for providing accommodation and airfare for the dozen officers.

The Scottish government will pay their wages; an arrangement Foot described as a “fantastic offering”.

“It is a very good and useful collaboration with the Scottish Prison Service,” he said.

New officers to help in several areas

In the meantime, the prison boss said the Scottish staff will be assisting in various areas.

“They are here to provide additional security, they are also going to provide the training in mentoring programmes for the prison staff here, operating procedures, and helping us to upgrade the general standards of prison officers in the Virgin Islands.”

Her Majesty’s Prison has been operating with fewer prison officers since the hurricanes Irma and Maria visited the territory last September.

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25 Comments

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  1. YES!!!!!!! says:

    This is sooo great. No more HM Vacation Resort. Those guys aint playing. You better believe it. Dem crooks better think twice before getting into mishift now. Thanks so much UK!

    • . says:

      If they are so good how come they cannot so the same good work in their country. All those lazy A*s retired here on vacation now, most of them with some big belly.

  2. ABOUT TIME says:

    ITS SUPPOSE TO BE A PRISON NOT A HOTEL. GREAT JOB GUYS.

  3. Wise says:

    Yes but is the infrastructure in place to be run at maximum security and is the laws in place to make hard rules for some of these harden criminals.

    The prison needs to be place under the portfolio of the Governor.

  4. JAC says:

    The invaders are here

  5. Hope says:

    Hope they keep those inmates in line. Guys, don’t get corrupt like the original prison guards.

  6. Albion says:

    Boy, I tell you. One side speaking with Scottish accents, the other side speaking with Tolian accents, those prisoners and prison guards are not going to know what each other is saying.

    • @Albion says:

      What are you talking about? . Half if not more of the Prison Officers are from other Caribbean islands. They will all just have to figure it out.

  7. Hmmm says:

    12 More families for the taxpayers to support! Free housing, flights and big salaries, complete waste! Unemployment is rampant in he BVI, and everything imported is taxed, and still way too many living without roofs and so a million is spent to fix the prison and another million to import and support 12 families. Beyond belief. Who stays up nights thinking up this waste of money? Oh, wait, who is benefiting from this massive importation of “GUARDS”? Well, well they at least will fill us lots of spare BVI housing! (sarcasm).

    • Foolish says:

      What foolishness you speak because you just might be one of the first set to start complaining about the additional wrongdoings your very own local prison guards are doing…..allowing cannabis and other illegal items into the prison. SMH!! Just can’t please some people!

    • No Name says:

      The Scottish Goverment are paying for these guards, you should be grateful for the help not complaining.

  8. Hum says:

    BVI pay accommodation. What an expense on BVI at a time like this. This could be costly.

  9. Slavery says:

    Slavery all over again…election day is coming.

  10. sand says:

    tolian accent???that’s why it corrupt from from the s—– to the cooks, none of them from here probably four locals the most…..a prison which is over populated can’t self house they own local inmates but the government can find housing and pay the airfare but can’t feed the locals them sent away” what a thing to tell the king”,which f– considered to be dangerous can’t self return from out st.lucia prison,families are worried and the government seems to be turning a blind eye…..so for the small minded person’s who happy for “Scotland men….why our don’t take a trip back Scotland and how about back to england underneath f— shoes with all our people tax money”…. hasta ta la vista

    • Candy says:

      @Sand you are such a bitter miserable person. I welcome the Scottish officers here. As far as St.Lucia goes, they can keep those inmates from Tortola, no one wants them back here.wrong and strong is your montra. What about the victims families.

  11. Local Development says:

    I appreciate the government of Scotland for their helping hand. However, I’m of the view that the Scottish Government could have offered to pay locals to be prison officers with training if necessary instead. People locally need the jobs.

  12. Fresh Air says:

    Love that Scottish accent. I am so glad they are here. Maybe now the prison will run like a prison should.Next, trim the food budget.let them eat bologna and cheese sandwiches with a box of milk 3 times a day. That will save the Government a huge chunk of cash.

  13. Sad says:

    I notice, tola have a bunch of haters. Miserable ppl always into other ppl lives. I have a love one in prison….i dont care what he did, he is still special to alot of us. Them guards volunteer to be on a lil vacation. I know one of them, and he told me himself that they volunteered for the vacay.

  14. Advocate says:

    @Sad, oh, so you know one of the Scottish guards huh? Well get this, the same way your love one in prison is special, crime victims were special to their families also.Seems like crime victims and their families gets the short end of the stick while the damn prisoners sit in the Hotel on the hill doing as they please and talking mess about their human rights. Prisoners should not be allowed to have any human rights once they commit a crime.

  15. Sunshine says:

    Now, for the regular police officers. We definitely need UK replacements for them too.

    Maybe replace the entire civil service while you’re at it, although that will not happen because of politics.

  16. Logic says:

    Everyone commenting but no one knows if they will be given their human rights

  17. Wake Up says:

    The Scottish Prison Service are paying their wages!!!
    Think about it. The Salaries of those guys, far outweighs the cost of their flights and accommodation. (Foot most likely bit their hand off)
    Not to mention the experience and knowledge that these guys are bringing to BVI.

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