Let’s get the facts right before casting stones

Sep 27, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
There have been a lot of views and statements about the two prison officers, Assistant Superintendent Corbin and Samuels. However, I am surprised by the statements made by certain sectors of society for political mileage.

No one wanted the death of prisoner Niles, but it unfortunately happened. He was found with seven .22 rounds of bullets on his return to the prison after doing some community work at the GDF Base. The bullets were obviously intended for a gun which is allegedly already in the prison.

This shows enough proof that prisoners were ready and willing to kill to get out of jail. This would mean at least seven on duty officers could have been killed.

The two officers charged for manslaughter are young and professional and seem to be excelling academically, professionally, and spiritually. They have attained the rank of ASP which shows their strong commitment and dedication to serving this dear land of ours.

Are persons forgetting the February, 2002 jail break which left a young, brave Assistant Prison Officer Troy Williams dead and the maiming of Woman Prison Officer Roxanne Winfield?

They paid with their lives to protect us. After that jailbreak, terror gripped this nation, causing many persons to migrate. Let us open our eyes and be pragmatic, and look at this situation from another perspective.

The prison is a very hostile environment and one has to love that job to be there everyday of the week. The salaries are not impressive, so it’s not the money that is keeping persons there.

I am quite sure these two officers could have gotten a job anywhere else, but they chose the Guyana Prison Service.

They have devoted their lives to protect offenders that are sent there, who, by the way, are sent there because they broke the law. They endanger their own lives and the lives of their family members to protect this nation.

The Guyana Prison administration and Guyanese have failed these two young officers. Are persons trying to protect their years of service, thus resulting in these two officers reputations being tarnished?

How come no GDF officers were charged for the lack of supervision on the part of the prisoner getting the live rounds? And isn’t it funny that the prisoner got it while being supervised by them?

God knows what exactly happened. But I believe that they were just doing their jobs and preventing yet another jailbreak, thus saving their own lives and the lives of many. I compliment them for a job well done (in stopping another jail break).

I am sorry that Niles had to pay this price with his life. Has anyone stopped to consider what might have happened if those seven rounds had not been discovered?

It would have been those same prison officers coming under fire for not preventing another jailbreak, and oh yes, they perhaps would have been dead too.

Let us be our brother’s keeper and pray for these officers. Let us not play Judge and Jury, but get the facts right before casting stones.
Geraldine Smith

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Let’s get the facts right before casting stones

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