The timetable for the Prison’s Education Department’s year coincides the with school term and therefore through July and August there are no classes for inmates. To help avoid a sense of boredom to set in, the Prison’s librarian Mrs. Jan Lewis organizes a season of Guest Speakers to deliver lectures to inmates. This programme is very popular and a timetable is set up to include remand and medium-security male inmates as well a separate timetable for female inmates.
2014 will be the third year that the programme has run. Guest speakers in the past years have fallen into varied categories and backgrounds. All have imparted knowledge and inspiration to the inmates. The sessions are always well attended and very interactive. They serve to motivate all who attend.
Many of the speakers have come from a business background, some of them members of the island’s Rotary Clubs. These have included Rolf Phillips and Clarence Hiles from the financial sector; Richard Cozier and John Hadchity from the manufacturing sector; Steve Brathwaite from publishing and Andrew Adams from the construction sector.
C.E.O. of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies, Nicholas Mouttet was given a tour of the prison before he delivered his speech, which focused on his own background and the hard work it took to become the Barbados chief of one of the largest conglomerates of companies in the Caribbean. He is very committed to the Prison’s Second Chance initiative.
Lectures on the effects of crime on tourism have been given by Jon Martineau, General Manager of Accra Beach Hotel, and Jacqui McDermott former Marketing Manager of Virgin Holidays.
Entertainers Mac Fingall and John King have also participated and whilst giving serious, inspirational talks they have always been very willing to “lighten up the mood” with a song or a joke!
Medical subjects have been covered by Angela Simpson and nurses from the Barbados Cancer Society, whose talks on breast cancer were aimed at the female inmates and talks on prostate cancer on the male inmates. These talks were followed up by screening tests for the females.
Racing driver Paul Bourne’s lecture emphasized the need to be committed and dedicated to stay on top of your talent. He brought along a DVD of car racing, which was well received by the men.
Pastor Ricardo Taylor has written a book on Financial Planning and he imparted a lot of good financial advice. Pastor Elector Pearson’s sessions are the most energetic of all…he likes to get his messages across with a lot of active participation.
Caterer Anna Went was a journalist before she moved on to catering. Her story amazes inmates when she recalls interviewing Bob Marley in person. Whilst Shelley Anne Griffith targets juveniles, U.W.I. Librarian Barbara Chase insists that inmates sing along with her and she encourages them to make good use of every minute in prison and to search for their talents…singing is obviously one of hers.
We were very honoured in 2013 when the Ambassador to the United States, Larry Palmer, together with his Deputy Chief of Mission, Christopher Sandrolini, agreed to be guest speakers and together they gave an insight into the work of the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown. The 2014 programme is already being organized with more distinguished persons agreeing to donate their time to H.M.P. Dodds’ rehabilitation projects.
