POA on cost-cutting initiatives: Keep savings within prison service

President of the Prison Officers Association (POA) Ceron Richards says while he is optimistic that the launch of a video conferencing facility at Golden Grove Maximum Security Prison in Arouca would cut cost on transportation of prisoners through live streaming of court hearings, he is urging stakeholders to ensure the money saved remains within the prison service.

Speaking during a tour of the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre (ECRC) and the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo last Friday by National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, Richards yesterday said he was confident that visit would renew government’s commitment to improving conditions within the prisons.

“I am hoping when the video conferencing comes online on a large scale, the effect of which will cut down expenditure on transport for prisoners, I am hoping the monies saved would be redirected within the prison services so that we can have money enhance operating capacities,” Richards said.

Responding to statements by Al-Rawi during Friday’s tour to fast-track legislative package aimed at protecting both prison officers and inmates, Richards said he was pleased with the state of discussions and is hopeful legislation would appear before Cabinet in the shortest possible time.

Commissioner of Prisons Gerard Wilson said while he could not say whether money saved by the conferencing centre would remain in the prison service to improve it, he hopes that at least some of it would be redirected into the system.

“I hope that at least some of the money saved would stay in the prison service to help with operational costs and other infrastructural expenses such as housing and other facilities. But I’m unable to say at the moment where it would go,” Commissioner Wilson said. According to a release issued by the Ministry of National Security, the video conferencing centre at the prison is 70 per cent complete. The release added that Ministers were given a first-hand look of upgrades at the Aripo Detention Centre, which upon completion will satisfy international detention centre standards. During the tour, Dillon also spoke to inmates at both facilities on their concerns and experiences in order to gain a better understanding of what type of improvement is needed.