Source: Erasmus Williams
Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 24, 2018 – Kittitian Annette Frank, who publicly expressed frustration with government in her task of rehabilitating prisoners in the Federation, has been fired by the Office of Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris, nine months into a one-year contract.
Frank, who was hired as a Consultant/Correctional Treatment Specialist in November 2017, was sent on 22 days vacation in July 2018, a few days after publicly expressing frustration in carrying out her mandate in rehabilitating prisoners before they return to society.
Frank expected to return to duty after her forced vacation on August 3, 2018.
On that date however she received a letter from the Human Resource Management Department in the Office of the Prime Minister informing her that she was fired.
“This correspondence is to let you know that it has been decided to determine your contract with the Government as of Friday, 3rd August, 2018. According to the terms of your contract, you will be paid one-month’s salary in lieu of notice. You will also receive a pro-rated contract gratuity to the period you would have already served,” said the letter signed by the Chief Personnel Officer, Mrs. Torfrida Rochester.
In her FaceBook posting in June, Frank complained of lack of a laptop and office furniture and supplies and of difficulties in carrying out her duties in the rehabilitation programme at Her Majesty’s Prison.
“At a time of skyrocketing crime in St. Kitts and Nevis, prisoners are being released and are falling on serious hard times because they are not given ample opportunity to be properly rehabilitated,” Frank had complained.
Frank also complained that prisoners were working on private homes “which is illegal and reeks of corruption.”
“Family members and relatives take money for prisoners and on many occasions the money is stolen and the prisoners don’t see a red cent,” said Frank at the time.
“This adds to the unnecessary abuse of prisoners being meted out almost daily,” disclosed Frank, suggesting the result of all this is major recidivism.
“Many prisoners come out worse than they went in. The prison administration should issue a receipt to every single person who takes money to the prison for the inmates. There have been some successes, but not half as much as we should as appropriate rehabilitation is actually frowned upon by the majority in the administration,” said Frank, who admitted she decided to go public with her frustration because she is tired of complaining to the proper authorities and getting nowhere.
“Everybody is going along to get along, but I have absolutely no desire to suck up to anyone. I am a citizen of this great nation. I did not come from Jamaica. I was born in St. Kitts and refuse to see it continue in chaos,” said Frank, who holds a Master of Public Administration Degree with a concentration in Leadership of Public Organizations; a Bachelor of Science Degree with honours in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts Degree with honours in Public and Non-profit Administration with a minor in Political Science from Rutgers State University of New Jersey.
