_{Before renovation}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. June 12, 2025

On Wednesday, June 11, eleven of the Belize Central Prison’s 250 prison guards decided to walk off the job due to improper accommodations.

The guards are claiming that they have been living in poor conditions in a recently renovated barracks.

Virgilio Murillo, CEO of the prison, described the barracks to Amandala as better than most resorts. He pointed out that it was also expanded and contains a living and dining area, with several washing machines for out-of-district employees to do their laundry.

_{Lockers after being renovated}

However, the employees have complained about the lack of locker space, which they refuse o share, and apparently there have also been disagreements over the designation of the top bunk of the beds for some guards’ use.

CEO Murillo said that the prison maintained its operations despite the complaints and the sudden walk-off, and expressed his view that the guards’ demands are unreasonable. He also noted that most of the guards who left the job had less than a year of service with the prison, while the others had been serving there for less than 3 months, which is the average probationary period for employment.

The prison will advertise the vacant posts, said CEO Murillo, as the prison will not re-hire the guards who decided to leave.

(AMANDALA Ed. Note:  For sure, in any large institution with many residents, secure locker space is essential for privacy and security of possessions. Despite the CEO’s “resort” claims, that locker space issue should be addressed expeditiously.)