Prisoners paint primary school
What do you do with a bunch of healthy young men with a lot of time on their hands? Put them to work of course. The Department of Corrections is hoping their plan to take some of their more trustworthy prisoners off the compound and into the world of work will pay off. Not only in terms of better community relations, but in motivation for the prisoners.
About a week ago you probably noticed trustees from the Hattieville Prison at the National Staduim cleaning up in preparation for the 1999 Cross Country Cycle Classic. This morning eleven prisoners were at the Queen’s Square Upper School giving the school a face-lift. Prison Officer Clive Ariola told us more about this community project.
Clive Ariola, Prison Officer
“This morning they have decided to do some painting on the Queen’s Square Primary School so we were sent up here with eleven inmates. The guys that are here are drug free guys and their term is short so that we don’t have problems with escapees – all that we needed to put into consideration.”
The prisoners say they feel very good to be out of prison doing work that will benefit the community and hope more projects become available. Their experience today also reminded them of the precious nature of freedom.
Gregory Figueroa
“Why I enjoy this work is because I know it will benefit the youths of tomorrow and also it benefits us. We are out of society and when we come out here and do good things and good work with our life, than to stay behind bars locked up and think all kind of craziness.”
Fred Aranda
“Being here and seeing how smooth society is running you also get to see the true value of freedom. I like it because it teaches us that if we could be out here working for free we could come out here and do the same thing and get paid for our job. Because the job that we are doing is big money.”
Alfred Ramirez
“I would like the society to find more jobs for us to do so we could come out everyday and clean more schools, more offices. Whatever jobs the government have for the inmates back there who are trustees, we will come out and do it to the best of our ability.
What I have to advise the youths out here today, I would advise them to please do not do any crime because back there is not nice.”
Hyacinth Latchman for News Five.
The paint was donated by Belize Electricity Limited and the building was hosed off before work began by the Belize Fire Service.
