Office of the Deputy Governor

Background

The Cayman Islands Independent Monitoring Board was operational in February, 2019. Its members are appointed by the Governor. The Office of the Deputy Governor provides Secretariat support and services to the CIIMB.

Its role is to monitor the conditions and treatment of those imprisoned, incarcerated or otherwise detained in custody in the Cayman Islands.

As part of their monitoring visits, Board members also handle “applications” from prisoners and detainees. Additionally, CIIMB members make themselves available to listen to issues, make further enquiries and provide responses. Prisoners or detainees are able to submit confidential applications to the Board or they can speak to members when they are visiting.

The CIIMB’s monitoring and reporting are organised around the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) four key tests of a healthy custodial environment:

• Safety: Prisoners, even the most vulnerable, are held safely;
• Respect: Prisoners are treated with respect for their human dignity;
• Purposeful activity: Prisoners are able, and expected, to engage in activity that is likely to benefit them;
• Rehabilitation and Release Planning: Prisoners are prepared for release into the community and helped to reduce the likelihood of re-offending.

Membership

The members of the Cayman Islands Independent Monitoring Board are members of the public, drawn from the local community. The Board consists of a maximum of 12 members, including a Chair and Deputy Chair.

Responsibilities

Board members are responsible for:

• Directly observing, monitoring and reporting on conditions and treatment for prisoners and detainees;
• Receiving and dealing with detainees’ applications and requests confidentially, and referring issues to the appropriate individual or agency when specialist advice and support is required;
• Informing the Director of Prisons and the Minister with responsibility for Prisons (or any official to whom s/he has delegated authority) promptly of any concerns.
• Reporting annually on the Board’s main findings and observations regarding the treatment and conditions of prisoners and detainees and any key areas for development, based on the monitoring activities carried out during the year.

The Chair and Deputy Chair of the CIIMB will also have the opportunity to discuss emerging themes at meetings with officials who have a significant interest in the outcomes of the work of the CIIMB, and which includes the Director(s) and Ministry representatives of the establishment(s) being monitored, as well as representatives from the Offices of the Governor and Deputy Governor. Beginning in 2021, it is expected that these meetings will be held quarterly.

Please contact CIIMB@gov.ky for volunteering opportunities.

Last Updated 2021-02-05