Members of the Bahamas Prison Association (BPA) on Friday applauded the government for appointing Patrick Wright the new prison superintendent, but BPA President Gregory Archer said the association has one major flaw with Thursday’s handover ceremony and it has to do with Don Cleare being promoted to Acting Deputy Superintendent.

According to Mr. Archer, Mr. Cleare has been employed at the prison for about 19 years now but is not a prison officer and only oversees the prison IT and computer systems.

Mr. Archer alleges that Mr. Cleare has never undergone prison training and said he and his members are outraged that long serving prison officers have been overlooked for that post – a promotion exercise he says was done in secret.

Mr. Archer and the BPA are calling for Mr. Cleare to be removed from that post and trained prison officers take over.

Mr. Wright succeeds Dr. Elliston Rahming, who served as superintendent since 2005, which makes him the second longest serving superintendent in the prison’s history.
Dr. Rahming is now The Bahamas’ Ambassador to Washington D C.