Superintendent calls for closure of Hart Street
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - DESPITE new measures implemented to prevent persons from throwing objects into the Prison compound, another individual has successfully carried out another blatant attempt.
According to information received by SKNVibes, during the course of last week, a male successfully threw two objects over the walls of the Prison, which later turned out to be two new mobile phones.
Superintendent of Prison, Juni Hodge confirmed the incident to SKNVibes, and he pointed out that the matter is currently under investigations.
This comes despite prison officials installing new CCTV cameras in 2016 to secure around the outer and inner perimeter of the compound.
But the Superintendent of Prisons believes more should be done by his law-enforcement counterparts, in having the stretch of road adjacent to the Prison – Hard Street - closed off to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Business entities are located on Hart Street and he suggested that the street be closed between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., with two gates mounted, one on either end of the road.
“Why you may ask, because I can sprint up there after preparing myself further down the road with a hoodie or whatever. I would then toss whatever I have to over the fence.”
When asked about the possibility of erecting a guard shed overlooking the inner and outer sections of the Prison, Hodge reminded that even though that is in place, items have been tossed over into the Prison compound from the Basseterre Police Station. He said this makes their job more difficult.
“That is why one of the police officers has been arrested and charged. Yes, we are working in close collaboration with officers of the Police Force. And we are still putting measures in place that alleviate chances of that happening,”
The Superintendent of Prisons was at the time referencing Police Constable Cleavon Chumney, who was charged for allegedly throwing illegal contents from the Basseterre Police Station into the Prison compound.
Hodge was of the view that due to the central location of the Prison, it is logistically difficult to close connect areas.
