NEARLY half of the prison officers at Fox Hill did not report for duty yesterday as they continue to demand action from the government over the unsanitary state of the prison and the resulting health implications.
Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Prison Staff Association (PSA) President Sergeant Gregory Archer said the officers are demanding that the prison be shut down so that a massive clean-up can be done as a matter of priority.
“Officers are escorting inmates to court and then discovering that the inmates have tuberculosis (TB). We need the facility to be cleaned up and we insist that it can be done by the staff and the inmates without the assistance of an outside contractor,” he said.
“We have the manpower and the inmates. The officers can do their jobs, but they are tired of working in such an unhealthy environment.”
Sergeant Scott Williams, vice president of the PSA, said that whenever they speak with anyone from the government they are told that “budgetary constraints” are to blame as to why nothing can be done at the facility.
However, noting the planned $20 million budgeted for the new National Security building on JFK, Mr Williams said it is clear the government simply does not want to find the money to take care of the workers or the inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison.
Mr Archer added that this will be his third term in office as head of the PSA and he wants his members to know that they will remain steadfast and refuse to allow their officers to be working in such conditions.
“We have written to every Member of Parliament that needs to be written to from the Prime Minister on down and no one has responded. So it is quite obvious no one is taking us seriously. We have some issues that the Minister of Finance needs to deal with, but no one has gotten back to us as yet. But this sheds light on how they feel about the prison officers,” he said.
Comments
BahamianAway 9 years, 11 months ago
I feel sorry for the people that have to work at HMP under those conditions, but at the same time prison isn't a five star hotel. Criminals are in there for breaking the law not to lie up in air conditioned comfort, eat good, and fart sweet all while the government is footing the bill.
I haven't visited the prison since a 10th grade field trip and what I saw was ridiculous. Over twenty beds lined off in one room, pin ups of Punch girls all over. They need to build a whole new prison. Individual, dual, or triple occupancy cells and then have community showers.
But I also think they need to relocated that prison to a remote family island and have the officers do tours. Have a quarters for the officers to stay and let them have a rotating schedule.
As usual the Bahamas is stuck in the dark ages.... but hey we have a wonderful state of the art track and field area courtesy of the Chinese government.
TheMadHatter 9 years, 11 months ago
So Sgt. Williams wants something done immediately - but WITHOUT the assistance of an outside contractor.
What is he trying to hide? What is it that he is afraid an outside contractor would see and might sip-sip around town? What human rights violations take place there on an hourly basis?
TheMadHatter
daddycroc 9 years, 11 months ago
Daddyo, u cud image the ungodly things that would happen to inmates and officers if prison was moved to a family island? When i was sent to jail, on the bus the officer who was driving was drinking Hennessey an cran, an not only was he tipsy he demanded that me and another guy both slap the dude who i was handcuff to, dis b4 we even reach fox hill. Soon as we get behind dem gates buddy, that same dude had to take two more BIG SLAPS from the driver. The food we got from magistrates court and daddyo fall to the ground after dem slaps. He was abused from the break! Think about dis, dey gat hospital in jail, graveyard in jail. They fuck you up, and fix you in the same place, ya family on the road would neva kno. Remember Fox Hill Prison built on graves of slaves. They move prison to a family island, it wont be long until you start hearing about torture methods, inmates dying and no one to say how or why.
BahamianAway 9 years, 11 months ago
And who gives five shiites...if you are in prison you committed a crime. If you didn't want to be abused then don't break the law, and don't give the appearance that you are. SIMPLE!!!!
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