The Barbados Prison Service has enacted comprehensive security enhancements and significantly restricted external prisoner movements in response to the May escape of inmate Kishon Lamar Anderson Thomas from Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Superintendent DeCarlo Payne revealed in an exclusive interview that the incident triggered a fundamental reassessment of off-site security protocols.
Following Thomas’s two-month period at large before recapture, prison authorities have implemented a multi-layered strategy focused on minimizing external transfers. The revised approach emphasizes expanding internal medical services, with orthopedic treatments previously requiring hospital visits now conducted within prison facilities. This addresses the critical vulnerability of restraint removal during external medical procedures.
The service has established weekly on-site psychiatric clinics and is actively developing telemedicine capabilities in collaboration with QEH. Remote consultations now handle routine cases, building on existing telemedicine practices that have operated successfully for over a year. Simultaneously, virtual court appearances have reduced judicial transfers, easing both security burdens and logistical pressures.
Superintendent Payne emphasized the risk calculus behind these changes: ‘We’re trying to mitigate as much as possible persons leaving because risk increases when they leave. If they remain, risk decreases.’ The measures have already demonstrated effectiveness in reducing external exposures while maintaining inmate access to necessary services.
Looking toward long-term reform, authorities are considering a minimum-risk transitional facility to support reintegration. This open-prison concept, modeled after successful UK approaches, would allow eligible inmates to gradually transition back into society while strengthening family ties and employment prospects.
Payne also addressed recidivism data, revealing that reoffending rates among released inmates range between 20-30%—significantly lower than combined national statistics exceeding 50%. He attributed this to risk classification systems and noted that most current inmates are first-time offenders. However, he emphasized that successful rehabilitation ultimately depends on individual commitment alongside institutional support.