BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FOLLOWING the recent appointment of Junie ‘Scrape’ Hodge as the Superintendent of Prisons, Her Majesty’s Prison in Basseterre was closed to visitors for 21 days, during which time a number of searches were conducted and a very large quantity of illegal items were found in the correctional facility.
Members of three media houses were invited this morning (Feb. 22) to visit the facility, where the illegal items were on display.
Speaking to the media representatives, the Superintendent of Prisons declared that the searches resulted in the find of 125 cell phones, sim cards, approximately eight pounds of marijuana, cell phone chargers and batteries that the inmates use with pieces of foil paper to charge their devices.
Also found were cigarette lighters ingeniously concealed in shoe soles and wooden bed frames as well as in mattresses, rolls of toilet paper and mop heads; alcohol in plastic bottles believed to have been thrown over the high prison walls; and improvised knives and ice picks, which are believed to have been used to remove bricks from the inner walls of the prison to stash their illegal items.
Hodge explained that the 21-day prison lockdown, which ended today at mid-night, was to facilitate a smooth transition in the handing over of leadership in the correctional facility.
He informed that during the lockdown period the intelligence-based searches were led by Chief Prison Officer Denzil Harris and Sergeant Isaac, while taking the opportunity to warn members of the public of the consequences if caught providing inmates with illegal items.
“The operation itself was done based on intelligence gathered by the officers here at the prison. One of the things I want to let the public know or remind the public of, is that when one would have given one of these residents here at Her Majesty’s Prison any illegal substance or article to bring in here, it is an offence, a criminal offence.”
He also warned that when caught the perpetrators would be dealt with and that they “must realise that every chip has a name attached to it at the various communication businesses, so it makes it very easy for us to find you”.
Hodge said investigations are ongoing to determine how the illegal items entered the facility and those who were found in possession of them would be severely disciplined.
The Superintendent of Prisons also sounded the warning knell to prison officers if they are engaged in such illegal activities.
“As long as an officer is found to be culpable of undermining the lawful presence here in the prison, that person would be taken into custody with the necessary amount of information that would allow us to charge that person. First disciplinary, so that he or she can be dismissed or put on suspension so that he or she may be charged criminally.”
He noted that it is alleged that inmates could order certain illegal activities to take place on the outside, including that of people losing their lives, and “we want to ensure that this thing comes to an end”.
Hodge stated that in his opinion, the exercise was fruitful and it has put his administration in a better position to govern the facility and to limit the amount of activities that encourage the entry of illegal items there.
The former politician indicated that a number of safety systems would soon be implemented, starting with the installation of CCTV cameras on Tuesday (Feb. 23).
He stated that in addition to cameras, scanners are also on the agenda.
“We are searching for full-body scan machine that can be placed at the entrance of the prison. So once you come into the prison, once there is any electrical, metallic item you have on you, the buzzer will go off. From the Superintendent of Prisons down will be subjected to pass through the scanner.”
Also on the front burner is the acquisition of sniffer dogs.
“Apart from asking the Police and Customs for assistance with their dogs, I have already suggested to the powers that be that we have a K-9 Unit attached to Her Majesty’s Prison...so the K-9 with his officer will be charged with the responsibility to periodically check for drugs. And we also will have the K-9 be trained to detect weapons.”
Another important security aspect that the Superintendent of Prisons want to establish is giving permission to disciplined and cooperative inmates the opportunity to use the facility’s phone to communicate with their family members, friends and or attorneys, but for a limited period and under supervision.
“In this facility the residents are here to be rehabilitated, so certain privileges are taken away from them. We need to set up a system whereas a resident, if needs be, have to keep in contact with any family member or their attorney, they can use the system that we set up that will be closely monitored for security purposes. If the prison is not secured, St. Kitts and Nevis is not secured.”
He said this particular system could also be used as an incentive for inmates to inculcate good behaviour.
