The Commonwealth of Dominica is mourning the loss of a towering figure in its correctional services community, following the passing this week of retired Dominica State Prison Superintendent Algernon Charter, who dedicated 35 years of his life to public service.
In remarks following the news of Charter’s death, National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore called for special national recognition of the late superintendent’s decades-long commitment to the people and institutions of Dominica. Over his remarkable career, Charter rose through the ranks of the island’s correctional system from entry-level service to the top leadership post of Superintendent, earning the Dominican government’s Long Service Medal of Honour for his unwavering dedication.
What set Charter’s tenure apart was his forward-thinking approach to inmate rehabilitation, a philosophy that prioritized expanding opportunities for personal growth and behavioral change over purely punitive measures. During his leadership, he spearheaded a wide range of initiatives designed to boost inmates’ quality of life and equip them with marketable skills for successful reentry to society after release. These included hands-on vocational training in trades such as construction, giving incarcerated individuals practical experience that would help them secure stable employment post-release.
One of Charter’s most groundbreaking initiatives arrived in 2010, when he introduced a first-of-its-kind program that brought Transcendental Meditation training to detainees at the facility. Speaking at the launch of the innovative program, Charter outlined his vision for the work: “This will help them to relax ….We hope that it will help them to see and behave differently. We offer opportunities, hoping that they change their cognition.”
Minister Blackmoore emphasized that Charter’s decades of service have left an indelible mark on Dominica’s national story. “Anyone who gives 35 years of service to his country deserves special recognition and mention in our great Dominican story,” Blackmoore said. “Mr. Algernon Charter served for 35 years at the Dominica State Prison and rose to the rank of Superintendent. Dominica has certainly lost a great individual.”
On behalf of the Ministry of National Security and the entire government of Dominica, Blackmoore extended his deepest condolences to Charter’s wife, immediate family, friends, loved ones, current and former officers of the Dominica State Prison, and the broader communities of Canefield and Mahaut where Charter was rooted. He closed with a final tribute: “May his soul Rest In Peace.”