Prison authorities say they are running out of options to keep members of rival gangs separate from each other behind bars, as encounters often result in violence.
Acting Superintendent of Prison Dwayne Bailey told the High Court on Wednesday that there are several gang members behind bars, either serving lengthy sentences or awaiting trial.
Bailey, whose substantive position is acting superintendent of police, said the prison has to confront “the recurring issue of gangs in the prisons.
“In recent times, several gang members have been charged by police. Some are on remand, some are serving sentences — lengthy sentences — and we continue to try to juggle and find spaces to separate these inmates,” Bailey told the special sitting of the High Court to mark the closing of the assizes.
“It is becoming a difficult task,” the prison chief said. “We’re running out of space for separating those persons. And when they do come into contact with each other, it often ends in some sort of violence.”
Bailey’s comments came as he delivered the prison status report during the hearing that was presided over by High Court judge, Justice Rickie Burnett.
He said there are 17 prisoners with mental health challenges, seven of whom are awaiting trial.
So far this year, there have been 29 infractions at the prisons and 58 cell phones seized.
Bailey said they were undergoing a comprehensive review of all the security measures at the Belle Isle Correctional Facility.
Several new measures have been put in place, including state-of-the-art security cameras around the perimeter fencing and the inner perimeter.
“Poles have been erected on the inner perimeter for lights to be placed in strategic areas to enhance the lighting at night at the facility. There’s also a construction of a monitoring tower … and to add to that, we have had 25 new officers who have had extensive training in the past weeks in an effort to bring the staff up to industry standard and to help to improve the overall security of the facility,” Bailey told the court.
He said work was continuing on the building that will have spaces for rehabilitation programmes, including three classrooms, a library, a computer room, and tailoring, carpentry and welding shops
Bailey said the Prison Farm continues to thrive and provides meat, eggs, vegetables and ground provisions, which go directly to the prison diet.
Bailey noted the ongoing challenge of housing mentally ill inmates, saying this continues to pose a threat to staff and to other inmates.
“This is an issue that has been brought into sharp focus with the pending release of Mr. Webster Woodley,” Bailey said.
The government is in the process of building a special facility at the Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre at Glen to house Woodley, 50, a criminally insane inmate who has completed a 25-year sentence for murder.
Bailey said another issue at the prison was that staff continue to take extended amounts of sick leave or are otherwise absent from work.
“Those issues continue to pose a threat to the security of the prison facility, and it’s something that we have tried to address, but we haven’t had the desired outcome as yet.”
Responding to questions from defence Counsel Shirlan “Zita” Barnwell, Bailey said there is a resident counsellor at the prisons to whom the inmates and staff have access.
“… but she’s overworked,” Bailey said, noting that the counsellors serve the 401 inmates as well as prison staff.
“But some members may be hesitant in relaying their issues to her, maybe because she’s right at the said facility.”
The prison chief said that during the last training cycle, staff were trained in addressing mental health issues, including dealing with their own mental health.
Meanwhile, Justice Burnette thanked Bailey for his report, saying that after visiting the prison last year he had a better appreciation of what things are like there.
The judge said things there are “not as bad as some may be projecting or saying.
“So I was basically impressed with what I saw. Continue a good work,” Justice Burnett said, adding that he was looking forward to Bailey’s report in July.
He said that in making this comment, he was expressing the view that Bailey should remain as the head of prisons, as he was doing a good job there.