Prison wardens receive training
But the Youth Enhancement Academy is not the only arm of the Department of Corrections that is looking to advance its future. The entire facility is attempting to change its image and is starting from within. The first of a series of in-service training courses for prison wardens began Monday at Price Barracks in Ladyville. According to Superintendent of Prisons Bernard Adolphus, the program is intended to improve the way wardens treat inmates.
Bernard Adolphus, Superintendent of Prisons
“In other words we are not cuddling prisons; we are not training officers to cuddle prisoners but we want them to understand the human aspects, what to expect, behavior change. You notice how Mr. Moody was talking about attitudes, you know, behavior attitudes, changing in behavior. All these are, all these are problems to us and the officer must understand how to deal with attitudes and behavior changes to improve the environment. So that when the man leaves prison we are hoping that the individual. All these training is to help the inmate become positive in himself.”
“So we are gearing them up to rethink and to and to change the whole behavior pattern so at the end, at the end we will then have a good correctional department.”
The training course includes, among other things, physical education, weapons training and how and when a prison warden is to apply necessary force in dealing with inmates.
While the management team is going all out to make the best of a bad situation at the Hattieville Prison, Superintendent Adolphus believes that there is a lot more that those beyond the prison walls could do to help, not only the institution but also those who frequent it.
Bernard Adolphus
“One way we can help is difficult, we cannot actually change society attitudes towards, towards inmates because some members of the society. And you may say just as so ahm, have been hit, have been raped, have been abused by our special guests here, right. We hope that some day that those people who have been the victims will find it in their heart to forgive them, right. If they are the second occurrence then we know what to do but then, but then by asking this side of the society and educating our society that we are dealing with people. They are not, they are not animals. They are people who have needs too, right. And this is no softy, softy touch and I don’t want because I am saying this people will assume that Adolphus is getting soft. No it is not that; it’s the humane factor that is involved.”
Sixteen prison wardens make up this first group of participants in the in-service training course which ends in two weeks time.
