By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC Service and Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said promotions for more than 400 Bahamas Department of Corrections officers won’t happen before the end of the year because the documents, which were recently submitted, must be processed one by one.

Prison Commissioner Doan Cleare said earlier this month that 444 corrections officers were awaiting promotions. He said he hoped the promotions would begin before the end of this month, noting the department’s last promotion exercise happened last year, with only 19 people promoted.

Mrs Glover Rolle told reporters on Friday that people were promoted in the corrections department in 2021 with another round of promotions coming soon.

“I don’t see that being possible between now and the end of the year, because this is over 400 physical paper files that we have to process,” she said. “And the Ministry of Public Service team, while we work around the clock, seven days a week, we’re only so many employees and sections that handle our promotions.

Earlier this month, Commissioner Cleare also suggested that the BDCS should get a commission similar to the Royal Bahamas Police Force Police Service Commission, a body empowered to make recommendations and promotions of officers above the rank of inspector.

Currently, the promotion of BDCS officers falls under the Public Service Commission, which also deals with promotions for all other public servants.

Commissioner Clear said it is “very unfortunate” that it takes so long to promote corrections officers compared to other law enforcement groups.

Mrs Glover-Rolle said public service could be reimagined because there are many more workers now than when the institutions were established.

“While we may have a Public Service Commission and there is also a Police Service Commission, there may be need for a Teacher Service Commission,” she said. “There may be need for a Correctional Service Commission. These are the things that we analyse as our consultants are reviewing our agenda for a reimagination of the public service.”