Allowances for jail staff hiked

Manama : The Interior Ministry has raised allowances for prison officers and guards, DT News has learnt.

According to a ministerial order issued on February 8, certain allowances have been increased for the officers and staff of the General Directorate of Reformation and Rehabilitation in Interior Ministry. The payments include the functional competence and danger allowances. These benefits were increased by BD35 to BD80.

The official document is signed by Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa. 

It mentioned that it’s the minister’s twelfth decision of this year, with regards to functional competence and danger allowances at the directorate. The first article of the decision mentioned that “functional competence allowances for the officers of the General Directorate of Reformation and Rehabilitation shall be increased from BD40 to BD120”.

As for non-commissioned officers, staff and guards of the directorate, the circular stated that their functional competence allowances shall be raised from BD15 to BD50.

Article 3 of the decision stipulated granting danger allowances of BD30 to the directorate’s officers, non-commissioned officers, staff and guards. The General Directorate of Reformation and Rehabilitation includes the detention centre in the Dry Dock and the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre (Jau Central Prison).

DT News reported last month that the minister has suspended the General Director of Reformation and Rehabilitation, Head of the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre and the Director of Security and Protection, few days after ten high-profile terrorists escaped prison on January 1. 

The decision followed the recommendations of an investigation committee set up by the minister to probe the circumstances of the armed attack on the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre in Jau, resulting in the death of policeman Abdulsalam Saif and the escape of the prisoners.

As reported yesterday, some of the escapees were killed and arrested on Thursday morning while fleeing in a boat to Iran.