Jail needs adequate sleeping accommodation for prisoners

Public Health inspectors with the Port-of-Spain Corporation have advised the Commissioner of Prisons to provide adequate sleeping accommodation for inmates at the State prison on Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, and deal with the poor air circulation in parts of the facility. These findings were contained in a report compiled by Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr Daniel Chang on November 29 following an inspection on November 17. The report was among several reports ratified at the council’s first monthly statutory meeting for the year at City Hall. While some areas were found to be in good or acceptable condition, the public health inspectors noted that the convicted prisoners’ cells A1, B1, A2, and B2 were overcrowded with 12 prisoners per cell measuring four feet by ten feet.

The inspectors also found no sleeping accommodation in the area for the prisoners. Other problems to be addressed were, poor air circulation, a heavy odour and air vents for the first floor cells that were severely littered. The inspectors noted that the roof on the second floor was earmarked for replacement. Poor air circulation was identified in other areas—death row condemn area (C1,C2), condemn prison area (F1, F2), condemn section G, photography section and E-division, the escapee and prisoner-under-punishment section. The area accommodating escapees and others also had an offensive odour and was poorly lighted.

Commissioner of Prisons, John Rougier told Newsday yesterday that “great strides” have been made in upgrading the prison. He said upgrade started last year following a report compiled by Amnesty International. Rougier said the findings of the PHIs was “nothing strange.” In response to overcrowding some inmates were transferred from Frederick Street to the Maximum Security prison at Golden Grove. Rougier said approximately 800 prisoners were sent. “We are doing a lot of work improving the food service area, the toilets have been upgraded, and we completed upgrade of the remand area.” Commenting on the inadequate sleeping accommodations highlighted in the report, Rougier said with overcrowding being addressed prisoners no longer had to sleep on mattresses.