An Unsung Heroof H. M. Northward Prison
Prison Nurse,Mr. Seibert Taylor
The Cayman Islands' prison system at Northwardfor the men and Fairbanks for the women, is the home to 230 residentsand for most people in the Cayman Islands, those unfortunate inmatesare locked away in punishment, shut off from society and in somecases, forgotten during their periods of incarceration.
Mr. Seibert Taylor, the nurse at the Prison Clinic, does not forgetand chooses instead to lock himself inside the metal gates withthese ill-fated men at the Northward institution (previously thewomen were housed there as well; now they are in a separate locationoff Fairbanks Road in George Town that Mr. Taylor visits daily)for eight hours a day, five days a week.
Nurse Taylor's mission is curative and hebelieves, with simple honesty, that nine of out every ten inmatescome out better than they go in because of the health care theyreceive while imprisoned.
His certifications are impressive, beinga registered nurse and mental aid officer, and he has worked inhis homeland Jamaica in both public and private hospitals. Hehas also worked in Bellevue in Jamaica, a hospital with a notoriousname in mental health. There, he tended to numerous patients withvarying degrees of mental illness, and has brought with him toCayman invaluable knowledge and bleak experience in dealing withpatients who do not always respond to treatment.
Seibert Taylor arrived here just over fouryears ago when a doctor in Cayman recruited him from Jamaica ona locum or short-term contract. "I guess they were a bitimpressed by my service," he says, "so they kept mefor two more years." He is just finishing his second two-yearcontract and looks forward to continued years of service withthe Cayman Islands' prison system.
At the prison, Mr. Taylor administers over-the-countermedications to inmates and refers serious cases to the GeorgeTown Health complex. The most common ailment, he says, is thecommon cold and influenza, both of which spread easily becauseof the nature of life inside the prison. Skin fungus is also prevalent,a result of bad hygiene and another aspect of life in prison.
Nurse Taylor, being available full time, eases the strain on thefacility in George Town and relieves some of the pressure on governmentcoffers. Working inside the prison side by side with the inmates,Mr. Taylor should be commended for the way he aptly controls thesituation.
He admits that he often finds himself ina precarious position and refers to the prison riot in September1999. "I was out before things got out of hand," hesays. When he returned, however, he found the old Clinic lootedand destroyed and consequently it had to be abandoned. Now thenew Clinic is operated out of a converted steel container whichrests in the middle of a small, rocky courtyard inside five lockedgates and with a claustrophobic view of high, impregnable fences.
Even though he is the keeper of medicationcoveted by inmates for various reasons, some benign and some fatal,Mr. Taylor admits that there are no major conflicts day to day.He deftly avoids involvement in the clever plots by inmates eagerto get a reprise of Northward and Fairbanks only for a brief stayat the George Town Hospital. "But you know you can expectthat," he says and does not feel compromised by schemes forfreedom and medication. "I understand from their point ofview but then again I have a job to do."
Mr. Taylor exudes a quiet confidence andgentleness that makes him at once imposing and friendly. Thoughhe has to be prompted to smile, he appears neither harsh nor unfair,and that stern sincerity has earned him the respect of the inmates.
"Most patients are mannerly and treatme with respect," he says. In fact, many former patientshave sought him out when released and have thanked him. "Iget good feedback from the inmates," he says.
As a result of his experience with mentalhealth, he is also on hand to counsel and encourage the inmates,a job from which he derives some contentment. "This institution,"he says, "there is a certain amount of job satisfaction.Seeing them come in after a few weeks gaining a few pounds, feelingbetter," he says and shrugs. Unfortunately, he is not ina profession that regularly uses the word "cure" andhe often finds that many inmates lie beyond his help.
"The difficulty you have It can bea little frustrating because most of the inmates have some defect.It's what got them here in the first place. Mentally, you do notsee a lot of improvement. Personality defects do not change veryeasily," he says.
The necessity for a mental health institutionin Cayman is becoming more serious. With such an institution,some inmates, though they have all committed crimes, might beremoved from the prison and better served in a hospital that caneffectively treat their unique ailments. Until that institutionis built, however, and Mr. Taylor says that it is under consideration,the prison will continue to house all varieties of criminals andNurse Taylor will continue to care for them the best he can.
"To be honest," he says, "thehealth care here is a lot better than most people think."Though there are administrative difficulties, a result of anybureaucracy, he says that the structure of the prison system inthe Cayman Islands affords good health care to many people whowere not receiving adequate care on the outside. Some patientshave never received health care before and take advantage, hesays. With more administration in place, however, he feels hecould do more and place less of a burden on society.
In addition to the care inmates can acceptfrom Mr. Taylor, they can also benefit from the attention of aGeneral Practitioner who visits twice weekly and a dentist inGeorge Town. The prison used to have its own dental facility butthat was destroyed during the September 1999 riot and was neverrestored.
The people of the Cayman Islands can restassured that their friends, family and fellow citizens are receivingexcellent treatment by Nurse Seibert Taylor. In his large, capablehands, the Government knows they have a dedicated, honest serviceman."I see people as people," he says simply, without affectation."I judge each person based on how they come and behave withme."
Nurse Taylor is married, and his wife Maxinecurrently lives with their daughter Janelle and son Jarmaine inJamaica.