Share this story
By Kisean Joseph
[email protected]
The manager of the Denis Bowers Rehabilitation Centre has denied allegations of poor leadership and frequent absences, blaming staffing shortages on employees who regularly report sick.
Randy Christopher was responding to a letter signed “Concerned Employees” that raises questions about security, staff welfare and management at the government-run facility and calls for an independent investigation.
“This manager, Randy Christopher, works seven days a week, reports for duty every single day,” he said.
Christopher, a former police officer, said two officers serve as supervisors, making decisions in his absence and reporting to him afterwards. He said much of his time away from the compound is spent escorting residents to and from school because some are being sought by people with whom they have had dealings.
“I want Antigua and Barbuda to understand this, that there are persons out there who are looking for some of these residents,” he said. He added that he has often had to search for residents after being told they had jumped a school fence.
The employees allege that residents are taken off the compound without officers being told where they are going. Christopher acknowledged withholding that information, saying that when residents attend court, he tells staff only that they are leaving, “as a form of safety for the resident and for myself”.
The letter also alleges that an officer was once left alone to supervise more than ten boys and states that eight employees are currently on sick leave.
Christopher said shifts are normally staffed by three or four officers, but that the same officers “religiously report sick, causing all the staff members to operate in twos”. He denied that any officer is left to work alone, saying he would cover a shift himself if necessary.
He also disputed claims that staff have no avenue to raise grievances. “The office of the manager is open to all staff,” he said, including detention officers, administrative employees and kitchen staff.
Asked why employees had complained, Christopher referred to staff who attend university during working hours, decline Sabbath shifts without following the proper procedures or fail to report for duty. “Are we providing a service to care for these boys? Or is it that they’re just here for the money?” he asked.
The letter raises further security concerns, alleging that an unidentified person entered the compound and approached a resident intending to attack them, and that no dedicated security officer is stationed at the main entrance.
Employees also allege favouritism in overtime and shift allocations, disrespectful remarks made to staff in front of residents and possible victimisation of workers seeking union representation.
According to the letter, a Seventh-day Adventist employee was assigned shifts conflicting with her Sabbath for five consecutive weeks. The employees also cite damaged doors, missing toilet seats, faulty air-conditioning units, sewage problems and a lack of structured rehabilitation programmes. They insist their concerns are about the safety of residents and staff, not a personal dispute.
Board chairperson Alethea Byers said she was impressed by the cleanliness and upkeep of the premises during a recent visit, although she witnessed damage caused by residents.
Byers said Christopher had told her the security issue was raised with the Permanent Secretary and was beyond his control. She said she believes he has done his best but wants more matters referred to the board for investigation.