President of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) Ceron Richards says police officers in prisons is not the answer to the current woes plaguing the system.
He made the comment at a press conference yesterday in response to a suggestion by National Security Minister Carl Alfonso that police or even soldiers could be used to assist prison officers in manning T&T’s prisons.
Alfonso’s recommendation, during the opening of the T&T Cadet Force’s annual camp at the Barataria North Secondary School on Sunday, came in the face of continuing complaints from the association that the situation within the prisons had become grim.
Yesterday, however, Richards said while Alfonso’s statements were “noble” and he was happy that he was paying attention to the issues of the Prisons Service, there were other measures which could be implemented instead of placing police or soldiers inside the prisons.
“But the emphasis should not be on police and the military conducting any duties inside the Prisons Service. There are remedies that can be applied. Prison officers can treat with the prison environment provided that there are remedies to treat with some of the issues in the prison environment,” Richards said.
On June 17, there was a confrontation between prison officers and inmates at the Remand Yard, Arouca. The clash left as many as 20 prisoners and five officials hospitalised for injuries sustained.
Richards yesterday said the support was more needed outside the prisons to ensure the lives of prison officers were not snuffed out following death threats from inmates.
Last weekend, an officer was stabbed in the face by an inmate at the Maximum Security Prison, he revealed. The officer remains warded at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.
Another officer also reported that his neighbour saw gunmen in his yard while he was not at home and another, Kerwyn Boswell, was shot last week as he came out of a vehicle.
“That is where we need, national security support... on the outside... treating with officers’ safety and security and providing the necessary resources so that officers could treat with their own safety and security,” Richards said. On the issue of salary negotiations, Richards said it had not progressed. (GK)