Prison Director receives award

Claira Range, Cayman’s first Director of Female Rehabilitation who pioneered the opening and development of Fairbanks Female Prison, has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters and a Global Life Time Achievement Award. The award ceremony took place last month in New York where she was recognised for services in the fields of youth, community development and government.

Mrs Range has given more than 45 years of service to the Cayman Islands and has been the only female to aspire to the position of Deputy Director, and made her strides to that post through hard work, dedication, and resilience. Her position until today is still an historic achievement in the Cayman Islands.

She is a pioneer and first Director of Youth Justice at the Eagle House Young Offenders Institution, where she has continuously worked in close partnership with the Cayman Islands community and others in the Criminal Justice System to achieve common objectives.

Dr Marvin Simpson, Global Educational Consultant, gave some thoughts:

“Through her insight and quest for rehabilitation of female offenders, she has been involved in promoting and developing a promising network of prison and community provision for women which has developed through the probation and the voluntary sector working closely together, projects that provide effective rehabilitation in Fairbanks Female Prison and the community by tackling a range of problems, including drug and alcohol dependency. This is combined with education and interventions aimed at helping women offenders come to terms with issues such as physical and sexual abuse,” he stated. “Although these programmes and network of provision have been designed in order to divert women from crime and custody, the learning has also been applied to male offenders, particularly in a coordinated approach to those with more complex issues underlying their offending.”

Dr Simpson went on to say that Mrs Range was considered as a mother to both adult inmates, juvenile, young offenders, and staff alike. She unremittingly offers guidance, support, affection, and her personal resources to assist anyone in need.

“I believe Mrs Range has distinguished herself as a hard working role model who has had a positive effect upon the lives of many men and women. The personal sacrifices she makes to the development of people through financial and other means in her community has not gone unnoticed. Mrs Range has received many awards, honours, and recognition for her work, including receiving the British Empire Medal in recognition of meritorious civil service by His Majesty King Charles,” he added.