Superintendent of Prison Colonel Trevor Pennyfeather has defended his decision to allow a prison inmate to attend the funeral of a childhood friend, saying the approval was based on a careful security assessment and was consistent with the rehabilitative role of the prison system.

Pennyfeather moved to set the record straight after Prime Minister Gaston Browne publicly raised concerns about the inmate being permitted to attend the funeral, appearing to question whether the decision was appropriate.

In an interview with Antigua.news, Pennyfeather said there was nothing unusual about the request, as inmates are routinely considered for escorted attendance at funerals, particularly when the deceased is a close relative or someone who played a significant role in their lives.

“Prison inmates go to funerals all the time, particularly for immediate family members,” he said. “There are also times when you would allow an inmate to attend the funeral of someone who raised them or someone who was a distinct influence on their life.”

In this case, Pennyfeather said the deceased was a childhood friend with whom the inmate had been raised. A formal request was submitted by the friend’s mother, who is a police officer.

“She came to me, and I told her to write formally. She did, and we looked at all the parameters,” Pennyfeather explained.

A significant factor in the decision, he said, was that the inmate was already scheduled to be released within approximately one month.

“The inmate would have been out of prison within a month and a couple of days,” he said. “We asked: What was wrong with allowing him to attend the funeral and pay his last respects?”

Pennyfeather also believed the experience could have served as a powerful lesson for the inmate, since the deceased friend had reportedly also been involved in criminal activity.

“Seeing your friend lying there dead could act as a deterrent,” he said. “This is somebody you were raised with. You both went down the wrong path, and this is the result.”

He rejected any suggestion that the inmate had been casually allowed out of the prison or permitted to move around without adequate supervision.

The inmate was escorted by three security personnel: a prison officer, a police officer, and a member of the military.

“There were three persons who went with him,” Pennyfeather stressed. “An assessment was made as to whether there was any danger or any other issue, and the necessary precautions were taken.”

He said the entire outing lasted approximately 45 minutes and the inmate was returned to His Majesty’s Prison without incident.

“Nothing happened. The man is back in prison,” Pennyfeather said. “The whole thing took about 45 minutes.”

The outgoing prison superintendent said allowing members of the public to briefly speak with the inmate at the funeral did not mean that security had been compromised.

“Yes, when people see someone they have not seen for a while, they are going to greet them and speak to them,” he said. “That is going to happen when the person comes out of prison as well.”

Pennyfeather argued that the controversy also raised a broader question about whether the country genuinely supports the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.

“If you want people reintegrated and rehabilitated, then you have to prepare them to rejoin society,” he said. “Are we going to keep them locked down for the rest of their lives?”

Pennyfeather maintained that the approval was neither reckless nor arbitrary, but a professional decision made after the circumstances and potential risks were reviewed.

“There was nothing strange about it,” he said. “I am a professional. Anything that happened during my tenure, I can sit down and explain my way through it.”

Pennyfeather is currently on vacation leave, which continues until his contract expires on October 7. Jeremy Anthony has been appointed acting prison superintendent.