President of the Prisons Officers Association Ceron Richards has called on Chief Justice Ivor Archie to step down. In an interview yesterday Richards said for years there have been a backlog of cases in both the low and high courts and because of that it was causing pressure and frustration among prisoners and prisons officers.
“If Chief Justice Ivor Archie cannot treat with the pace of these cases being heard and prisoners being tried for their respective charges then he should step down and let someone else step up to the plate and bring that much needed change in the judicial system. “We are fed up of hearing excuses and fed up of this slow judicial system and we really need someone who could lighten our burden in the prisons service of T&T,” Richards said.
He said the situation remained the same within the prison walls where safety and security concerns were an issue. “We are waiting to hear what the Ministry of National Security and the line minister will come with as regards addressing our safety and security concerns... also, with respect to the issues surrounding the prisoners in the system,” he said.
He added that he would continue to support whatever action the officers should decide to take in their best interest. On Monday and Tuesday there were reports that about 150 inmates at Golden Grove Remand Yard, who are currently fasting in observance of the month of Ramadan, fell sick after allegedly receiving “sour food” for two consecutive days for the breaking of their fast.
On Monday, inmates allegedly received split peas, rice and chicken and on Tuesday they were given black eye beans, rice and fish. The meals were distributed to the inmates at about 5 pm. The T&T Guardian was told that many prisoners allegedly complained of severe abdominal pains and some experienced extreme diarrhoea.
When asked about that, Richards said he could not confirm nor deny the inmates were served “sour food.” National Security Minister Carl Alfonso says a combined effort will be made among the protective services and the Prisons Service to protect prisons officers. Last week, several inmates were allegedly beaten and in a separate incident about five prisons officers were allegedly attacked by a group of prisoners during a search of the North Deep Wing at the Golden Grove Remand Yard, Arouca.
Subsequent to last weeks incidents, there were several threats, posted on the social website Facebook, of what appeared to be inmates sending death threats to prisons officers. Commissioner of Prisons Sterling Stewart, in a previous T&T Guardian report, advised prisons officers to be vigilant.