Inmates’ skills paraded at Pirates Week
(L-R) Marlon Watson and Richard Barton of the prison service show off the “HMP” engraved on the wagon the inmates built
(CNS Local Life): Inmates from HM Cayman Islands Prison Service (HMCIPS) put their carpentry skills to work, building a wagon that was featured in the Pirates Week float parade, held 12 November 2016. Members of the prison workshop built the wagon at the request of the Cayman Islands’ Civil Service Association Co-operative Credit Union, whose entry based on the event’s theme, “Age of Romance”, took first place in the corporate float competition.
During the parade the wagon was used to portray an old Caymanian wedding scene with a bride and groom in a horse-drawn carriage.
HMCIPS human resource manager Raquel Solomon said the group of men laboured for three weeks to complete the job. “This project was a great challenge for the inmates, because it was something different from the products they normally produce,” she said.
“This project included extensive woodwork and metal work, as the arches for the canopy were manufactured on site as were the axle and wheels.”
Solomon added that the prison workshop was a great outlet for the inmates, allowing them to collaborate with others and demonstrate the breadth of their skills.
HMCIPS custodial manager Richard Barton, responsible for the vocational technical programme, said he was pleased that the team of inmates and an officer could help Credit Union pull off their vision. “This project showcased the ingenuity and creativity of the inmates,” he said.
“I believe with guidance, great things are possible. Not only do the inmates earn wages, but it’s a creative outlet for them, and plays a part in the rehabilitative process.”
Category: Prison Service
