Prison officer earns top employee nod
(L-R) Daivid Wight, Councillor for Sports and Transport; Barbara Conolly, Councillor for Education; Tara Rivers, Home Affairs Minister; Marlon Watson, Prison Officer; and Neil Lavis, Prison Director
(CNS Local Life): Prison Officer Marlon Watson, with Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service, has been named the department’s employee of the month for May. As the officer in charge of the prison’s workshop, Watson is responsible for the overall operation and for the well-being of all inmates who take part in the programme.
Prison Director Neil Lavis presented the award to Watson in front of prison leaders and staff members. Watson was nominated for upholding the moral code of conduct for the Prison Service, and exemplifying the principles of decency, integrity, commitment and excellence, Lavis said in a government press release.
“Mr Watson received the award for his consistent efforts to help prisoners make positive changes and improve their circumstances while in prison and after their release,” Lavis said. “I especially want to express gratitude for your extra efforts in ensuring public awareness of the prison workshop’s products and services.”
Human Resource Manager Raquel Solomon nominated Watson for his outstanding performance on the job and his commitment to always serving the department to the best of his ability.
“Ever since he was assigned to the workshop, Mr Watson has performed his duties at an extremely high standard and consistently meets production deadlines,” she said. “He has impeccable administrative skills, and maintains an impressive level of security while providing great service to our customers. Mr Watson has developed a great rapport with the inmates assigned to his work party and is committed to up-skilling them for future employment.”
Since joining the Prison Service and being assigned to the workshop, Watson said he feels he is really making a difference in the lives of prisoners.
“It has been an honour to serve the Prison Service as both an officer and a vocational training instructor for more than two years, and I am thrilled to have been nominated and selected as the employee of the month,” he said. “I would like to thank Director Lavis and the entire Prison Service for recognising my efforts, and I will continue to do my best to contribute to the safety of this community”.
Lavis presented Watson with a voucher as a token of appreciation, and said, “I applaud your contributions to improving the Prison Service and to making the Cayman Islands a safer place.”
A plaque with a picture of Watson will hang on the walls at HMP Northward for public viewing.
Category: Prison Service
