Abuse in prison

THE EDITOR: I am an inmate at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca serving a sentence of seven years for robbery with aggravation and I am about to be released soon. My reason for writing this letter is because of the constant brutality on an almost everyday basis by a certain group of prison officers. The way these officers get on I don’t think I would make it to freedom but by the grace of God. These said officers pick on prisoners who they take pleasure in beating. They (officers) boast to inmates that whenever they come to work they leave their heart at the prison gate. The Commissioner and Superintendent at the prison are fully cognizant about what is going on but are failing to do anything about it since the Prison operates on a code of silence with officers refusing to speak out on each other.

The prisoners housed in solitary confinement block are worse treated. Recently an inmate at this said division was stung by a centipede around midnight and only got medical attention at about 8 o’clock the morning. A few days ago as well inmate Trevor Hospedales began bawling when an insect crawled into his ear while asleep. He was only treated with pain killers an hour later and told to stop disturbing the peace by bawling aloud. The solitary confinement block is infested with centipedes and other crawling insects that come from the underground sewer nearby. There are beds at the Prison Warehouse for the inmates at this said division but for whatever reasons the authority prefers to see the inmates lie on the floor or pieces of foam.

The guards work in direct contravention to the Prison rules Ch 11. No 7 which can be cited for clarity. Some of these officers attacked an inmate and broke his jaw. He was left unattended for ten days in his cell without medical attention. It was only via the intervention of a kind and sympathetic prison guard, Snr Superintendent Lambert, that he was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. The matter is now in court through his attorneys. There are also two State witnesses,  housed at the solitary division, who are being constantly harassed and systematically victimised by prison officers. I would greatly be thankful if you would publish my letter on behalf of myself and the other inmates, two of whom are State witnesses in a murder case at the Maximum Security Prison before there is a prison riot and many more killings.

DAVID MOSES
Arouca