National

“You’ll Be Free One Day… The Question is Then What?”

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Governor General visited and spoke with inmates at the Bahamas Department of Corrections, continuing a tradition she has carried on for decades.

Published

2 hours ago

February 11, 2026

Joshua Williams

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – While she is the official head of state as governor general, Dame Cynthia Pratt once again showed why she is affectionately known as “Mother Pratt” by thousands of Bahamians.

The Governor General visited and spoke with inmates at the Bahamas Department of Corrections, continuing a tradition she has carried on for decades.

Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, Governor General
“Young men, this is your country. It is what you make it. You’ll be released one day. You’ll be a free man. The question is then what?”

Pratt began these visits in the 1990s and says the mission remains personal, even after moments when she considered giving up.

Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, Governor General
“That young man looked in my face and said speakers came and they talked, but nothing registered. But the day you came, you said something, and I’ve never been the same.”

She says it is never too late for inmates to change their lives.

Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, Governor General
“Let them say what they want to say. That won’t change my thinking. I know what it takes to change things.”