Prison Operations Unshaken Despite Officer Walkout

Yesterday, we reported that eleven prison officers had walked off the job at the Belize Central Prison. Today, we can confirm that despite the reduction in manpower, it’s business as usual in Hattieville. The officers, primarily new hires who commute from a distance, were demanding personal locker space and individual beds instead of bunk beds. They also requested salary increases and decided to leave united when their demands were not met. The Director of the Prison, Virgilio Murillo, says he’s not concerned about their departure, as being a prison officer requires a special kind of person.

Virgilio Murillo, Director, Belize Central Prison: “Quite frankly, as far as I’m concerned,  we’re doing great.  The prison continues to work, I mean continues to operate very well. Obviously we’re not having any issues as you can see.  But that’s where we are, the same status quo. They worked and as far as I’m concerned I don’t expect them to come back. The prison environment is not an environment for anybody to work in. It is very special people that get to remain in this environment for a very long time at least that is what my 23 years of prison experience has taught me.  And yeah we have seen people come and we have seen people go and the prison continues to function, the prison continues to operate. At the end the day we have a huge mandate and a huge responsibility to protect the society by making sure the inmates do not escape and go and create havoc or go and wreak havoc on the society. We have to ensure the public is safe and that is why we are in existence. But believe you me the prison will function with or without them.”

Murillo also confirmed that efforts are already underway to fill the vacant posts.