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THOSE ESCAPEES

Jul 29, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Good journalism is about knowing the facts and reporting them to the public. It is not about speculation. The government is loaded with security experts from the army and police, in addition to several intelligence units. But prisoners are escaping. The situation has become untenable. But are these men and women security experts?
This is happening on the heels of newly revealed revelation that while on leave, the Commissioner of Police had ordered the release of the main suspect in the alleged assassination plot against President Granger. This was disclosed by a police officer testifying before the Commission of Inquiry to determine how the alleged assassination plot against the president was handled by the police. Some in the legal profession claimed that it was handled poorly.
The nation is still reeling from the March 2016 prison riot that claimed the lives of 18 inmates when another riot broke out at the same Camp Street prison that took the life of a prison officer. It is excruciating for the people to experience two major prison riots in such a short period of time. Today, there is some fear because the dangerous prisoners are still on the loose after two weeks of the prison riot. If that was not enough, the nation woke up to the shocking news that over a dozen dangerous prisoners escaped from the Lusignan Prison last Monday.
Given the number of high level security experts in this government, it is absurd that these people did not have proper information nor did they have security measures in place.
The escaped prisoners are not petty criminals; they are dangerous men who have been convicted of horrendous crimes like murder and armed robbery. Nine of the thirteen escaped prisoners have been caught.
Given the destruction at Camp Street these high risks prisoners were held at the Lusignan Prison compound. The Ministry of Public Security and the security experts are in damage control mode. Whatever they are doing seems to be working because they have support from the wider society. They are catching the latest batch of escapees.
Further, it is now very likely that the first batch of prisoners who escaped when the Camp Street jail went up in flames could be caught anytime soon.
The two prison uprisings which occurred in little over a year have highlighted the fact that despite all the security experts, the authorities still have not been able to recruit the requisite number of prison officers to deal with the dreadful situation at the prison. They have not been able to recruit people trained in certain aspects of prison reform. The result is that prisoners have gradually become the hostile people they could be. They even try to exert more influence on their peers than the prison wardens could, and some do.
There has been talk within the last decade of prison reform and of relocation of the Camp Street prison, but it has not translated into any meaningful action. For the Minister of Public Security to say that he is embarrassed and has taken full responsibility is not enough.
He has said one thing that makes sense; prisons will; not be the same. There will be no construction of wood in the new prisons. The fires that razed the Camp Street jail will never be as devastating again in the new prisons.
It is evident to the general public that the modern criminal is a far cry from those of the past. In fact, prison no longer seems to be the deterrent it was intended to be. The experts must now analyse the present situation and try to find solutions.

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