Confession of a prison officer on crime

THE EDITOR: Please allow me to publish this letter in your newspaper. I write with the help of my daughter. I cannot bear to keep what I know any longer to myself, but in recent times my family and I have succeeded in obtaining landed status to another country, and so before I leave I think it is my duty to the people of this beautiful country to expose what goes on behind prison walls.

We manufacture criminals in this country; it takes about five years to make a total heartless cold-blooded killer in our prison system. We take people’s children off the street, starve them, beat them, cut them off from their families, (ten minutes visit once a month), make them live in sub human conditions, sleep on the floor and then if that is not bad enough we ridicule them, make fun of them, we don’t stop until every last bit of human feelings is removed, making them homosexual maniacs, then releasee them back onto the streets.

All for what you may ask, the sick enjoyment of senior officials who enjoy mocking humans in a manner that degrades them for self gratification, it makes them feel important, more of a man, it sickened me, these boys could be my sons. Not to mention the stealing of the supplies that are provided by the Government and many well-wishers, forcing the prisoners to go without soap, toilet paper, shoes, even going hungry at night.

This country does not have a crime problem. We have a self-made problem, don’t take my word for it, I dare the media to interview prisoners and don’t tell me that poses a security risk, because they all made front page on the dailies at some time, except this time write what they feel. Think how you would feel to be locked up all day in an 8 x 6 cell with 5 men, no toilet, water, radio, television and when you are fed it is food fit for a dog and you have five minutes to eat with your hands.

Our minister Mr Chin Lee knows what the problem is, he has visited the prisons many times within recent times, but in my mind he is outnumbered by all the lying, stealing, coward officials who run our institutions. I wish him well in his endeavours, and so I leave my home, my mind at ease in that I have spoken the truth.

Take my words for nothing but information, people of this nation rise up and check for yourselves, you may be surprised to find the cause of our present crime situation is our own making.

It is never too late to fix a problem. I just hope God will forgive those responsible for mutilating the minds of the misbehaved children of our nation. I have worked and lived with convicts for years, I hope in my absence this letter can help them. I am but one man, it takes the voice of many to be heard and bring change.

D ROSS
Daughter of Retired
Prison Officer
La Romaine