Sophia Spence of the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre band performs while (from left) Lindon Naulty, Terrence Myers, Keddon Williams and Davean Ellis provide music at an award dinner for the Department of Correctional Services at the Hilton Kingston hotel on Tuesday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has lauded employees of the Department of Correc-tional Services (DCS) for doing a good job of guarding the incarcerated.

Golding, who was speaking at the DCS annual awards dinner on Tuesday night at the Hilton hotel, said many times, the department was taken for granted.

"The real purpose of this award is to honour all of you for the tremendous service that you give, service that goes without gratitude, service that goes so often unappreciated, unrecognised and unheralded, and if it is just for one night, let us salute you for the service that you are giving," he said.

At the dinner, more than 100 employees were recognised for their contribution to the department for 10, 20 and 30 years, as well as others who retired last year.

Golding added that the society tended to breathe a sigh of relief when wrongdoers were imprisoned, because the purpose of incarceration was to redeem persons who had wronged society.

"How many of us consider that when we put them there, we put them in your hands, and when we put them in your hands they are not the scum of the Earth, to be despised and abused?" he asked.

He added that society tended to "discard these relics of a disordered society", but correctional officers are responsible for them for the duration of their sentence, regardless of their behaviour.

Reward

June Spence-Jarrett, commissioner of corrections, said work in the DCS was not easy and joined Golding in praising her team.

"For some of us, work may not be enjoyable, but the old saying 'reward sweetens labour' speaks to the effort of management to add a little flavour to those who carry out their tasks and do so well," she said.

Recognition for work was shown to Ina Fairweather, director of planning research and evaluation at the DCS head office, and Blossom Wilson Saunders, a senior housemother at the Rio Cobre Juvenile Centre. The two earned the Commissioner's Award and were rewarded for exceeding performance standards, motivating others and displaying character.

Other awards included Adult Correctional Centre of the year which went to the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, with Fort Augusta as runner-up. The juvenile institution award went to St Andrew Juvenile Remand Centre, and second place to Rio Cobre Juvenile Centre.

kimesha.walters@gleanerjm.com