Lance Small kept in a fortress

There is so much security at the Federal Detention Centre in downtown Miami, that anyone who has no business there, should stay away.

Since his extradition to the US in November last year, Small has been kept at the Miami Detention Centre pending his trial.

Now that he has been convicted and sentenced, he will be removed to another facility where access to him will be easier.

At the Miami Detention Centre, the authorities allow only immediate family members. Nobody else, except his attorney, of course. Immediate family members include spouse and children, no nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles or grandchildren. But it is not automatic. Small must give the names of his relatives to the authorities.

The authorities need four to five working days to approve the visit. They check the names, addresses and telephone numbers to ensure the information is authentic - when all this is done, approval is then given.

Small received a visit yesterday from his wife Myrna, son Neil, and daughter. They had to be at the facility by 6 am to get an early entrance to the prison. There were hundreds of other persons lining up to see other inmates.

Neil said he, his mother and sister were in place on time. So too were many other people. Finally, the time reached and they were allowed entry at 8 am.

Unlike his appearance at the US Federal Courthouse on Thursday when he was handcuffed, Small was free yesterday. He sat at a table and faced his wife, son and daughter. Only three persons are allowed a visit to a prisoner. There was nothing between them. They could embrace but not for long, they can kiss, but just a smack.

The meeting area was described by Neil as a huge lounge area which can accommodate about 400 persons at anyone time.

Within minutes, the place was a bee hive of activity. There were only three correctional officers standing in the middle of the lounge area, keeping an eye to ensure that everything was above board.

According to Neil, they must only speak to the prisoner. If there is an exchange of letters, the visit will be terminated at once.

Yesterday’s visit was the first for a long time by Small’s wife who lives in New Jersey. She was not present at the trial in May at the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale. However, she was present on Thursday when Judge William Dimitrouleas imposed a sentence of 12 years and seven months on a three-count indictment on 70-year-old Small.

What was Small’s reaction?

"He kept laughing and he was okay," Neil told Sunday Newsday.

"He hasn’t changed. From day one, he knew it was a set up. One who believes that, there is nothing you can do," his son added. "Physically, he looks great for a 70-year-old man."

Neil said his father has to undergo an operation sometime in the future to cut a growth in his urinary tract. "When someone hears operation, they may feel it is something big, this is just a small surgical operation that needs to be done, so he can urinate freely, that’s all."

Neil confirmed that his father has appealed the conviction and sentence imposed on him, but he cannot say when this hearing will be held. Now that Small has been sentenced, he will be moved away from the Miami Detention Centre. Nobody knows when this will take place.

According to his son, "under the federal authorities, they will just move him, they will tell no one. It is only when dad calls and tells us where he is, then we will know. When he had to be moved to the hospital (Jackson Memorial) sometime ago, they told no one. They just went for him, took him to the hospital and when that was over, they moved him back."

Neil is hoping that when his father is moved, it will be close to where his mother lives (New Jersey) or near to him (Fort Lauderdale).

He said the feds have time on their side because they will choose when and where to move him. "That is the federal law," he quipped.

When Small was arrested on March 6, 2004 in Port-of-Spain for extradition to the US, he was the owner of the only grocery in Gonzales. Neil said the grocery was still operating and run by his cousin. "Imagine in an area with 4,000 people, there is only one grocery. You have to spend $4 to go into town to buy groceries. My father has been running that grocery for more than 20 years. Before that, he had a liquor store, but gave that up because of his religion.

"He used to run Culture House, he ran a bar at the Queen’s Park Savannah for the CDC, he was among big people, but then he stopped these things because of religion. Who do you know will do that?" Neil asked.

Neil said up to this day, people still owe his father money from the business.

Despite all that has happened, Neil said his father looked strong in prison and he was optimistic that he will be exonerated and will be back in Trinidad.

"This is not about Muslims, anyone can go through what he went through. I want people to know what he went through. My father was set up, they wanted him out, just like they want other people out. Check and see what was the deal between Trinidad and the United States, and you will see."