Inside the $350,000 renovated prison barracks that disgruntled guards complained about and walked off job over

Published by [email protected] at June 12, 2025

Posted: Thursday, June 12, 2025. 7:45 pm CST.

By Breaking Belize News Staff: On Wednesday, Breaking Belize News (BBN) broke the story of 11 disgruntled prison guards who walked off the job after complaints about a lack of locker storage space and a refusal to sleep on the top bunk of the beds in the prison staff quarters. Today, BBN can also confirm that the staff barracks was recently upgraded after undergoing a $350,000 renovation.

According to Belize Central Prison Chief Executive Officer Virgilio Murillo, the upgrade, which was long in the works and completed in December, was done “in the interest of trying to boost staff morale and let our people see how much we appreciate them.” The renovation was funded through management fees collected from the Government along with donations to the Kolbe Foundation, which manages the prison.

Before and after comparison of the barracks kitchen

Before and after comparison of the barracks lockers

The barracks can house up to 80 members of staff, who work a 7-day shift system and reside on the prison compound until they are off shift for another 7 days. The facility is equipped with 40 bunk beds, which are utilized to make effective use of the space available. The facility also includes nine shower stalls, a couple of urinals, an ironing room, a laundry room with two washing machines, a kitchen, dining room, and a living room with a TV included.

The renovation comprised a complete overhaul of the facility, which is evident from before and after photos provided to BBN. The roof was completely redone, along with the tiles in the building, and a new coat of paint was applied. The facility also includes a water vat.

Before and after comparison of the bunk beds staff use

Living room quarters in the staff barracks

Unfortunately, even with the significant renovation of the staff quarters, prison resources don’t allow for the purchase of individual lockers for each member of staff, which totals more than 250. The facility houses only 83 lockers, which staff share. They are instructed to take their personal items from the lockers when they are off shift. This was one of the major points of contention among the 11 guards who walked off the job on Wednesday.

Before and after comparison of the bathroom facility in the barracks

Laundry room that hold 2 washing machines

“You can’t please everyone,” Murillo surmised. He also noted that of the 11 who walked off the job, 8 of them had been employed at the prison for less than a year. Operations at the prison remain running efficiently despite the temporary disruption.

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