Prison officers fear riots over dry taps

President of the Prison Officers Association Ceron Richards confirmed the water shortage at the prisons. “This water shortage affects these two prison institutions every year and nothing has been done by past governments and the current administration to remedy the situation,” Richards said.

He said that on Tuesday, officers complained to him saying they are worried for their safety as inmates are getting angry at not being able to bathe or even clean their slop buckets. Richards says he will be seeking a meeting with the Prison Executive on the issue.

Over the past few weeks, fiery protests have taken place in various parts of the country by residents over a lack of pipeborne water despite assurances by Public Utilities Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, that there is no water shortage in the nation. (See Page 16A) Efforts to reach Prison Commissioner Cecil Duke on the matter yesterday proved futile.