BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A Prison Officer, who wishes to remain anonymous, is claiming that following a recent incident at Her Majesty’s Prison some of the inmates involved are being treated unfairly.
In a letter to SKNVibes, the writer claimed that about 9:30 p.m. on Friday, September 7, 2012 an incident had occurred involving two persons in a cell that houses 22 prisoners.
The writer said that members of the St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force were called in to assist in the situation, along with Superintendent Franklyn Dorsett.
The letter stated that by the time Dorsett had arrived at the correctional institution, all the inmates of the cell were out in the yard lying face down with hands behind their heads, and an inmate referred to as “the aggressor” pointed out four persons whom he claimed attacked him.
“One side of the story was listened to; at no time did the Superintendent assist the situation properly to find out what really happened. After some assumptions he then relieved one of the four individuals and told him to go back to his cell,” the letter said.
The letter went on to state that Dorsett instructed the officers to beat the three prisoners because he wanted to send a strong message.
The beating was said to have lasted for approximately 10 minutes.
“Baton after baton, boot after boot, the cries got louder and louder until the nightmare ended. Mr. Franklyn Dorsett stood there without remorse for the young men and intentionally after that torture still placed those men in isolation as extra punishment.
“The aftermath was the harder part dealing with injuries. So much pain, can’t stand, can’t sit, no medical attention until days after the massacre. One individual had broken fingers, another a broken rib. The worst part of the whole situation…no resistance or aggressive behavior was performed by the inmates to be treated in such a manner,” the letter stated.
The letter also stated that the prisoners need to seek help from a lawyer on filing lawsuits against the Superintendent and the Prison, as it was not the first time prisoners were treated in that manner.
As the writer indicated, he/she is of the view that Superintendent Dorset did not make the right choice in his decision to punish the three inmates, because a thorough investigation was not done.
SKNVibes spoke to Dorsett who said that if a person had a problem with the way he did his job they should write his superiors in the Ministry of Homeland Security; Permanent Secretary Elvis Newton or Minister Sam Condor.
“We have had a number of incidents where prisoners bring their gang business from the outside into the prison,” he said. “There are a number of prisoners who tend to attack or gang other prisoners while in prison. I am the guardian of the prison, my job is to protect, my job is to make sure the prisoners are safe. Over the years I’ve had incidents where my officers tried to intervene and they were attacked. I myself was subject to attack from some prisoners in the prison.”
He said that the prisoners know if there is an incident that seems too much for the prison guards to handle, the law allows for other forces to be called in.
“Police will be used. Sometimes the fights are a way to lure the guards in and attack them. I have the authority to call the police in. My job is to protect and ensure prisoners are safe. If they weren’t beating up people, the police wouldn’t come in,” Dorsett added.
Dorsett said that the September 7 incident did occur and that his guards could not handle it, so the police were called in.
“If the police come in and have to use force, I don’t make no apology or we wouldn’t have a jail. If they come in and decide they want take over the jail by beating up others, they have to suffer the consequences,” he said.
Dorsett said that the individual who was attacked had his ear bitten off from one of the three persons the police had to subdue.
“I remember one person receiving medical treatment and they have to be in isolation after, they know what would happen when they get into fights, they are told this every day.”
“If the prisoners don’t bring their gang business inside the prison there would be no need for Police or Defence Force. They fight and we can’t control it and the law gives me the authority to call in the police. I wasn’t there, so I took instructions from my Supervisors,” Dorsett said.
Dorsett said that the September 7 incident would be dealt with in the Magistrate’s Court.
“Prisoners have rights. Their rights to medical attention, to three square meals a day, recreation, rights to visit whether from lawyers or family, but all these rights can be taken away if they break the rules. If they break the rules their rights will be taken away,” he said.
