WILLEMSTAD – The Appeals Board for Civil Servants has upheld the dismissal of a former employee of Curaçao’s prison system after finding that she maintained unauthorized contact with an inmate, a violation that the Board described as a serious breach of integrity and professional standards.
The former prison officer, who worked in security at the Sentro di Detenshon i Korekshon Kòrsou (SDKK) since 2012, was dismissed following an integrity investigation that began in 2021.
The investigation was launched after a colleague reported that the employee was communicating with an inmate through Facebook Messenger. According to the findings, the contact continued for several weeks and involved extensive communication between the two.
Investigators concluded that the prison officer had provided the inmate with food, drinks and other items. The investigation further found that she warned the inmate about inspections aimed at detecting mobile phones inside the prison and failed to report that he possessed a phone.
Authorities determined that her actions constituted a serious violation of the standards expected of correctional officers, whose duties require professional distance and strict adherence to security procedures.
The Governor subsequently dismissed the employee on the grounds of functional unsuitability and a breakdown of trust.
After the Court of First Instance in Civil Servant Matters rejected her challenge to the dismissal, the former prison officer appealed the decision to the Appeals Board.
During the appeal proceedings, she argued that she had been ill during her interrogation, had signed statements under pressure and should have been given an opportunity to improve her conduct in light of her long and otherwise positive employment record.
The Appeals Board rejected those arguments, ruling that the investigation revealed a pattern of behavior incompatible with the responsibilities of a prison security officer.
According to the Board, correctional staff are expected to demonstrate integrity beyond reproach and maintain a professional relationship with inmates at all times. The judges concluded that the former officer had fallen seriously short of those standards.
The Board also dismissed her argument that too much time had elapsed between the incidents in 2021 and her eventual dismissal in 2025. While acknowledging that the disciplinary process had not progressed quickly, the judges noted that she had suffered no disadvantage during that period because she did not perform any work while continuing to receive her salary and accrue pension benefits.
With the ruling, the Appeals Board confirmed the earlier judgment of the Court of First Instance, making the dismissal final.