The Correctional Service Welfare Association (CSWA), a key advocacy body that represents the interests of correctional officers, has inaugurated a new three-year executive committee after successfully concluding its leadership elections on August 12 and 13.
Following member voting, Gavin Toussaint secured the position of President, while Nelcia Gaston was elected to serve alongside him as Vice President. The full executive lineup also includes Cleta Cylis as General Secretary, Zelia Alexander as Assistant Secretary, Shermine David as Treasurer, Curneil Estava as Public Relations Officer, and three trustees: Elijah Donat, Elmagin Sealy, and Rebecca Mathurine. All members of the new committee have officially taken up their roles immediately after the election results were finalized.
With the election campaign now behind them, the newly installed leadership has turned its focus to addressing the most pressing concerns facing rank-and-file correctional officers. Top priorities for the committee include pushing for improvements to on-the-job working conditions, strengthening welfare support for members, and breaking down long-standing communication barriers between association leadership and frontline staff, as well between the association and institutional management.
Public Relations Officer Curneil Estava emphasized that transparent, consistent communication will be the cornerstone of the new administration’s agenda. “The new Executive is committed to ensuring that members remain informed, engaged, and represented at every level of decision-making that impacts their careers,” Estava stated in a post-inauguration comment.
In addition to improving internal outreach, the executive confirmed it will maintain ongoing, constructive dialogue with relevant government and institutional stakeholders to advance policy changes that benefit both correctional officers and the broader correctional service system. The leadership’s three-year term is expected to center on amplifying member voices and delivering tangible progress on core workplace issues.