Prisons Association head calls for Dillon’s removal

Richards made the call on Monday at a press briefing on the grounds of the Golden Grove Maximum Security Prison in Arouca, where he and members of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) raised issues pertaining to the state of security within the prison system.

Richards said he was concerned by the minister’s failure to address issues of safety and security within the nation’s prisons and urged Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to revoke Dillon’s ministerial portfolio.

“While we do understand that he is very busy, he is busy doing nothing,” Richards said.

“We have been calling for a meeting with him for almost ten months now and we have yet to see or hear from him.

These issues need to be addressed especially within a prison environment where every action can result in either life or death.” Richards also questioned the allocation of funds within the Prison Service and called on the prime minister, who also serves as head of the National Security Council, to investigate reports of financial mismanagement.

“When national security allocates $6 billion every year and there is $2.5 billion in recurrent expenditure for wages, salaries and general upkeep, where does the difference go? We don’t have a judicial space at Golden Grove although that has been touted for years.

We don’t have, in our biggest most volatile prison, an alarm system.

I heard the prime minister talking about various crime prevention programmes, but I want him to know that at the heart of any successful crime initiative lies an efficient prison’s service.” Newsday attempted to contact Dillon for comment but was unsuccessful.