News

Seniors in the Bodden Town area are receiving regular cooked breakfasts thanks to an initiative from Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service (HMCIPS).

A team of prisoners and staff from HMP Northward began preparing and delivering the meals on weekdays to support older persons from Tuesday, 7 April 2020.

It was clear to HMCIPS that some vulnerable people in the community were in need of greater assistance in light of the evolving coronavirus situation.

As Prison Director, Steven Barrett explains, “The prison service very quickly began to look at ways in which we could help the wider community. It was obvious to us that there would be some elderly people in our community who would be in need.”

HMCIPS worked collaboratively with the Department of Children and Family Services to identify opportunities for inmates to assist in the broader effort.

“DCFS is overjoyed that during this time of uncertainty, the HMCIPS has offered to provide reassurance in the form of breakfast for seniors in need of this service,” said Nicole Quinland, Acting Director for the department.

Through talks with DCFS, it was determined that offering breakfast would be most welcomed as many seniors are already provided with lunch and dinner through Meals on Wheels.

“The staff who provide the delivery service feedback back to us with a great sense of pride and feel really connected to the local community. Those in custody are always keen to support local community initiatives. This is a tremendous initiative that they are very pleased to be part of,” continued Prison Director Barrett.

According to Mr Barrett, the programme will continue indefinitely as long as there is a need for it to do so.