Prison promotes five, honors two

On July 14th, four inmates from the Hattieville Prison tried to escape. They were stopped before they even made it out of the cell whose lock they managed to break. If the men had made it over the wall, their names would have been added to the long list of escapees over the past several years. But this time two officers, Ebral Mai and Rigoberto Rosado prevented the breakout. To reward the two for their vigilance, the Superintendent of Prisons Keith Hamilton recognized them at an awards ceremony at the prison this morning. The Department of Corrections also promoted five female officers: Mechealee Welch, Sharon Bood, Althea Myvette, Stephanie Bonilla and Henrietta Gill from Basic Grade officers to Grade One officers. Superintendent Hamilton says these events are an indication the department is moving in a new direction. It was the first time officers were required to pass an exam before being promoted.